Space a ‘real concern’ at hospital but more facilities on way, says manager

“Space is of real concern” at the Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar, the hospital manager has said.

In an interview with the Westmeath Examiner, manager Kay Slevin said that while a number of projects, such as the construction of a new outpatients department (OD) and the opening of a new MRI Unit will help alleviate the current overcrowding problems in the Emergency Department in the medium term, at present the hospital is “ really maxed out in terms of space”.

Between September 1 and September 22, hospital management issued public notices on nine separate days asking the public to “consider their care options” before attending the Emergency Department.

Ms Slevin says that while she is “sure it is challenging for the community to receive the messages where we are asking them to consider their options before attending the ED, it does form part of our escalation policy when we have overcrowding”.

“That’s why we ask people to consider their options so that we can prioritise the acutely ill patients. Of course, anyone who is unwell and needs to attend the ED should attend.”

Last month, Westmeath County Council granted planning permission for a new €6.5m outpatients department at the hospital, which will be located in a new build directly across from the main entrance.

A contractor has been appointed and construction is expected to start in October. The estimated completion time is 12 months.

When the OD moves to its new home, it should have a “positive impact” on the current overcrowding problems at the hospital.

“It will allow us to move our outpatient services into the new building and to develop an acute floor and expand our emergency department,” Ms Slevin says.

“During Covid, we were required to develop a respiratory ED to manage isolation for Covid patients, and it is a welcome development for patients who require isolation; because of that anyone entering the hospital will see that our waiting areas are currently out in our main concourse, and that meant losing our coffee shop facility for patients and staff because we had to prioritise that area for patients waiting for the ED.

“When the new OPD is completed and we move our OPD services into it, we will then have space to expand our ED and our acute floor. The acute floor will include an AMAU (Acute Medical Assessment Unit), a surgical assessment unit and a gynaecology assessment unit.”

If required, patients are transferred from the ED to the AMAU, but at present, the acute unit is located in a “very small area”. When the service is moved to its new home, Ms Slevin says that it will have “much more capacity and output”.

The opening of the long awaited MRI unit early next year should also ease the pressure on the hospital, Ms Slevin says.

The hospital has put in a submission for staffing for the new unit with the HSE and the Friends of Regional Hospital Mullingar are busy raising the remaining funds needed to purchase the MRI scanner.

While it will be “challenging” recruiting specialist staff in the current climate, Ms Slevin says that when the MRI is up and running it will be of “massive benefit to patients and staff”.

When patients are here [currently] and they require an MRI, they are required to transfer to Tullamore, Ballinderry or other facilities, which means their length of stay can be impacted. Their plan of care is impacted because their clinicians don’t have an efficient timeframe around their time of care. This all feeds into delays.”

Praising the Friends of Mullingar Hospital for their “generosity”, Ms Slevin says that subject to the recruitment of staff, the unit will be open early next year.

The delivery of both the new Outpatient Department and the MRI Unit were two of the topics that hospital management discussed with Minister of Health Stephen Donnelly when he was in Mullingar recently for the Fianna Fail ‘think-in’.

In addition to discussing national issues such as how to reduce waiting lists and overcrowding in EDs, management also highlighted the need for a major refurbishment of the hospital’s catering department, where patient and staff meals are cooked.

The refurbishment of the catering department would cost around €2.5m, but Ms Slevin says it would be “significant for the hospital”. The last time there was a significant refurbishment of the department was in the 1980s.

“For staff and their working environment, it would be hugely beneficial for the efficient production of food and the delivery to the patient. We are moving to a fresh-cook system and all that feeds into the refurbishment of the department.”

They also discussed the recent submission for funding for an additional theatre. MS Slevin says a new theatre is need because the current theatres are “maxed out to capacity”.

The hospital is working with Mater Hospital to try to establish the new theatre, which would help ease the pressure on the Dublin hospital and provide the service closer to home for patients in Westmeath and neighbouring counties.

During the meeting with Minister Donnelly, hospital management also discussed its recent submission for a new theatre suite, which Ms Slevin describes as a “major capital development proposal” that would form part of a wider plan for the midlands region.

All of these new projects are needed to ensure that the hospital can meet the needs of a rapidly increasing population in the years to come. “The demand in terms of population is certainly increasing they are going to be needed very soon into the future,” she said.

The last few years have been exceptionally challenging for the hospital and the staff. Ms Slevin says that she is proud of how they coped.

“I’d like to thank the staff of the hospital. They have gone through a challenging period and they continue to work so hard and are so committed to the service provided in the hospital. I’d also like to thank the public for their support.”