Friends of Nenagh Hospital lend support to cardiac services unit

A new Heart Failure Support Unit will be available to patients at Nenagh Hospital this month thanks to several years of hard work and fundraising initiatives by the Friends of Nenagh Hospital.

The Friends of Nenagh Hospital agreed to help finance the provision of cardiac services locally and funding was provided for a designated space for the Heart Failure Support Unit at the hospital. This financing was agreed by the Friends and the HSE in 2015. All donations are added to a central fund.

There are over 90,000 people in Ireland who suffer from heart failure. Heart failure accounts for more than 7% of all hospital admissions. Heart failure affects about 20% of those over 80 years of age and causes very debilitating symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and fluid retention.

Over 50% of admissions to hospitals related to heart failure are avoidable if recommended treatment is provided in time and if specialist support is in place to facilitate early intervention when symptoms start to deteriorate.

Provision of the ‘Heart Failure Support Unit’ means that people from North Tipperary who have a diagnosis of heart failure will be able to avail of a disease management programme and specialist support in Nenagh. The service is led by Dr Syed F Abbas, Consultant Cardiologist and two specialist heart failure nurses, Jacinta Glasgow and Kathryn O’Brien, while clerical support is provided by Agnes Carroll.

The Heart Failure Support Unit will consist of two consultancy rooms, a reception area, an office, a bathroom and will be fully wheelchair accessible. The Friends of Nenagh Hospital committed €40,000 to help provide this much needed service at Nenagh Hospital and the donations we received contributed to this sum, said a spokesperson.

Hand over of the unit took place on February 18, 2021 and will be available for patient use from March, 2021.

“On behalf of the Friends of Nenagh Hospital, may I thank the people of Nenagh and North Tipperary and those further afield, for their generosity and assistance in helping us achieve our goal of funding this undertaking, and allowing our charity the opportunity to assist in bringing this essential cardiac service to our local hospital,” said Declan McGee, chairperson of Friends of Nenagh Hospital.