'We are not asking for privilege' - Renewed calls for new hospital to be built in Clare

Councillors have unanimously agreed that Clare County Council should call on the Government to commit, without delay, to the planning, funding and construction of a new Model 3 or Model 4 hospital at a greenfield site in Ennis. 

Two separate motions on the issue were brought before the October meeting of the local authority.

In one motion, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle, Cllr James Ryan, Cllr Michael Begley, Cllr Dinny Gould and Cllr Ian Lynch said that while the recent HIQA report into the overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is warmly welcomed, it "highlights the significant inpatient bed capacity shortfall and the pressing patient safety risks" facing the region. 

Three options have been outlined (by HIQA) to address this challenge, including expanding UHL’s current site, developing a second campus nearby or constructing a new Model 3 hospital altogether. Many public representatives are now advocating for this hospital to be built in Clare. 

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At the October meeting, councillors noted that despite short-term solutions being "urgently needed," they believe the establishment of a new hospital in Ennis can sustainably meet the growing demand for urgent care in the coming years.

"This investment is essential to secure equitable, safe and timely healthcare access for the people of Clare and the wider Mid-West region," the motion read. 

Commenting further on this was Sinn Féin Councillor Tommy Guilfoyle who put it simply: "Enough is enough." 

He claimed the "worst decision ever was made" in regards to the downgrade of Clare hospital, saying "The recent HIQA report lays bare" the severe issues UHL is consistently facing. 

“This hospital needs to be built in Ennis. It needs to be built for the future," said Cllr Guilfoyle, with Independent Cllr Michael Begley stating, "To say it (UHL) is unsafe is an understatement.”

In a separate yet similar motion, Cllrs Antoinette Baker Bashua, David Griffin, Michael Shannon,  Rita McInerney, Rachel Hartigan, Pat Daly, Pat Hayes, Joe Killeen, Tom O' Callaghan, Tony O'Brien, Shane Talty and Clare Colleran Molloy also called on the Council to ensure the new hospital, as recommended in the HIQA review, is located in County Clare.  

It is said that a new hospital in Clare would "directly address this crisis by providing safe, modern and adequately resourced acute care" for the Mid-West region. 

While HIQA has recommended a Model 3 hospital for the Midwest, many Councillors feel that this does "not go far enough" to address the scale of the crisis in emergency healthcare provision. They say the region deserves nothing less than a fully resourced, future-proofed Model 4 hospital. 

They claim that the county's infrastructure, land availability and central location make it the most suitable and sustainable option to deliver safe and effective healthcare for the entire Midwest.

Proposing the second motion, Cllr Antoinette Baker-Bashua said the HIQA report "laid bare what we already know" surrounding the understaffing and wait-time issues in University Hospital Limerick. Believing that Clare is the perfect choice for this new hospital as it is the "most accessible location" in the region, the councillor said intervention is needed "not in 10 years time. Not after another report. Now"

“We are not asking for privilege, we are demanding fairness," she stated. 

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Co-signing the second motion was fellow Fianna Fáil councillor Rachel Hartigan, who detailed her own disappointing experience with UHL after presenting with symptoms of sepsis earlier this year. 

“If you’re going through A & E, you’re not going to get the medical attention you need," said Cllr Hartigan. 

“We just need action on this.”

Fianna Fáil's Tom O'Callaghan admitted he was "extremely upset" after reading the report, claiming that "we’re actually messing with people's lives." He suggested, at the minimum, a Model 3 hospital for the Mid-West, saying "If we don't make that statement, people will die.”

In agreeing to the two motions, elected members noted there is adequate land around Ennis to accommodate a new hospital and the close proximity of the town to the motorway network was also highlighted.