Forum is given a hospital update

WEXFORD GENERAL Hospital has had success in recruiting nurses over the past 12 months and is currently recruiting some additional consultant posts, according to General Manager Lily Byrnes.

Ms Byrnes was invited to update the members of the HSE Regional Health Forum South at a meeting in Cork recently. While the hospital is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group, four councillors from Wexford represent the county at said meetings.

Ms Byrnes told the group that they had successfully recruited nurses over the past year and were, in particular, seeking physicians in Endocrinology and Gastroenterology for consultancy posts.

Emergency Department presentations had risen by 5.6% from 2016 to 2017, she pointed out, saying that, in total, 44,466 people had presented to A&E in Wexford General Hospital.

There was 1,772 births, 15,415 inpatient discharges and 10,774 day cases, a significant increase.

In January and February 2018, Emergency Deoartment presentations increased at a rate of 8% on the previous year. Ms Byrnes said the hospital was continuing to manage these challenges and hoped to deliver its service in 2018 within the funding envelope.

She added that the hospital was increasing its Radiology establishment and was awaiting a Cost Benefit Analysis of a 75 in-patient Medical Unit to replace the current block which was built in the 1970s. They were also progressing an MRI Suite, through the Ireland East Hospital Group.

Ms Byrnes said the hospital’s Scheduled Care Waiting Lists were reaching targets in relation to urgent endoscopies. She said there was some increased demand in routine endoscopies which was being managed through the Ireland East Hospital Group.