Following the recent sitting of the South East Regional Health Committee People Before Profit’s Cllr Adrienne Wallace has announced that the “badly needed” injury care unit for Carlow could be coming sooner rather than later after discussing the issue with HSE executives.
Cllr Wallace added “Carlovians have one of the furthest distances to travel to access A&E, which is St. Luke’s in Kilkenny, it can also be difficult to get there if you don’t drive. I have been raising this issue for a long time now and passed motions in the council calling on the HSE to deliver an Injury Unit for Carlow and raised this in the Dáil via Parliamentary Questions from PBP TDs. Reps from the HSE have confirmed that this is now a huge priority for them.”
She continued “A unit in St. Dymphna’s has been identified but some refurbishment works are still needed, this will begin shortly. We could even have the injury unit open by 2025. This will be a huge bonus for Carlow and I am delighted the HSE have listened. I do anticipate however, that there will likely be issues with sourcing staff which could delay its opening. Nationally the HSE have issues with recruiting and retaining staff across all areas and I think it is imperative the government address the pay and working conditions that will hinder these recruitment efforts. Nurses have been protesting about the so-called “recruitment ceiling” recently and they have my full support. Government must listen to workers on the frontline.”
Cllr Wallace concluded “Going forward it is important that people across Carlow recognize that this as an Injury Care Unit, as such it will only be equipped to treat minor injuries like sprains and strains, stitches, and minor facial injuries. If anyone is presenting with more serious symptoms, they should still attend A&E.”
ENDS – Contact Adrienne on 086 311 9991 / awallace@carlow.ie
