Portlaoise hospital director promoted to Dublin hospital
Big managerial changes are happening in Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise in Laois, with a new manager taking over, and a new Director of Nursing required.
Director of Nursing Sandra McCarthy worked her final day last Friday, December 2, when she welcomed the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly on a visit.
Kildare native Ms McCarthy has been appointed as Director of Nursing at Tallaght University Hospital, effectively a promotion after serving a hectic four years and four months in the same role in Portlaoise, all part of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.
She has seen huge investment and improvements to the Portlaoise hospital during her time there, that followed a threatened downgrade of the hospital revealed back in 2017.
The director has also seen it through one of the most challenging periods for Irish hospitals.
“My first trial was industrial action strikes by the IMO, followed by more strikes, then Covid, then the cyber attacks.
“We have had a lot of infrastructure changes too, we have increased our nurses from 250 in 2018 to 296, and tripled our Advanced Nurse Practitioners and there are lots of plans for further development.
“I very much welcome the announcement by the Minister of both the respiratory assessment unit and his assurance that there is no plan in the future to change services in Portlaoise hospital. This will assist in our recruitments,” she said.
Minister Donnelly visited to announce a €14 million investment in new and improved facilities to the hospital.
Ms McCarthy said that 11 more hospital beds will be freed up in coming months, due to the HSE's investment in a new stepdown hospital facility at the Abbeyleix Community Nursing Unit.
"I look forward to opening up the transitional car unit in Abbeyleix in quarter 1 (January to March). That will provide 11 beds. We are progressing with recruitment to help with winter plans. It effectively increases our capacity by keeping people out of the acute hospital setting," she said.
She said that nurse numbers are "stable" in Portlaoise.
"Staffing is stable, we have no significant vacancies in the nursing service," she said.
There is growing investment into community based care at medical hubs to support the hospital.
"With the progression of integrated care we are developing patterns with community colleges, creating more posts in areas like nursing, physiotherapy and diabetes, linking with these community hubs," Ms McCarthy said.
In other changes to management, a new hospital manager John Joyce is taking on his role in January. It follows the retirement of Michael Knowles, with Kathleen Ward currently working as the interim manager.