Portiuncula facilities “not fit for purpose” – Health Minister

A new 50-bed extension being planned for Portiuncula Hospital will help to address the problems caused by infrastructure that is “not fit for purpose”, according to the Minister for Health. 

Speaking during a visit to the Ballinasloe Hospital last Friday (November 1), Minister Simon Harris acknowledged that staff are working in very difficult conditions, in a building that “no longer meets the needs of patients”. 
He confirmed that the first phase of a new 50-bed ward block has gone out to tender, with construction to start in 2020. The investment will help alleviate the challenges facing the hospital’s healthcare teams, including overcrowding, infection control and privacy in end-of-life care. 
The Minister said he was particularly struck during his visit by “the pride that staff, patients and the community have in the hospital”.
“I was delighted to meet with staff in Portiuncula today and review the plans for the new ward block. The message I'm taking back today tallies with what I already knew – that this is a great hospital, with really excellent staff and an incredible community spirit,” he said.
“However it's absolutely clear that the current infrastructure is not fit for purpose; the hospital only has a very small number of single rooms and I've been on wards today where I've seen six beds in a very tight space. Excellent nursing and medical care are being provided but in a very difficult environment that makes it hard for infection control and the privacy and dignity of patients, despite the best efforts of staff.
“The 50-bed ward block will provide everybody with single rooms, and will be a significant increase in terms of the single bed stock in the hospital.”
Minister Harris added that he is committed to further investment for Portiuncula, particularly regarding the development of acute stroke services. 
“The management and clinical leaders have a very ambitious plan to be able to increase stroke services here. That will require some investment, and I'm committed to making sure that investment is put in place,” he said. 
“We've got to use hospitals like Portiuncula better; these are hospitals that are doing an incredible job, and they want to do more. They have a site that can physically do more, and they also have capacity to deliver more services, should they be funded and resourced to do so. My message to the people in this hospital today is to be ambitious in that regard.”
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent during the Minister’s visit, general manager of Portiuncula University Hospital, James Keane, said he was delighted with the commitment to the “long overdue” unit. 
“We had an opportunity today to show Minister Harris the current configuration of the hospital and the challenges we face due to the lack of single and en-suite rooms, which are now the standard expected for optimal infection control and patient privacy.
“It's also welcome for staff who work in very cluttered conditions, crowded with equipment and with beds and patients who are not properly spaced in five- and six-bed wards.”
He added that the development will improve conditions in the emergency department, by relieving congestion and providing quicker access to beds for patients. 
Welcoming the development, Deputy Denis Naughten said it was important for the Minister to see first-hand the conditions in which staff are working. 
“From the point of view of enhancing the quality of care that people receive in the hospital, and the timely access to care in the hospital, this 50-bed ward block is vitally important.
“There isn't room on the corridor for two people to meet, never mind trolleys and wheelchairs and there isn't the space within the wards themselves, so having the 50 single rooms here is very important.”
Cllr Aisling Dolan said the Minister’s commitment was “a real win” for the people served by Portiuncula. 
“This visit is significant for our region and the town of Ballinasloe. It is a testament to the great healthcare teams who work in our hospital and who have driven this project and is an investment in the future of our hospital,” she said. 
Tenders are now being sought for enabling works which will make the proposed building site ready for construction. The deadline for the receipt of tenders is November 18, and the contractor is expected to be on site at the start of 2020. 
The new 50-bed ward block is expected to open in 2022.