Funding has been announced for the establishment of a new Trauma Unit at University Hospital Waterford.
Minister for Mental Health & Older People, Mary Butler TD, has announced the funding under Budget 2025.
Speaking to WLR News, Minister Butler said: “The funding has been confirmed by my colleague at the Department of Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, and forms part of a €4 million allocation for the continued implementation of the National Trauma Strategy which aims to reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by major trauma.
“Under the strategy, two regional hub-and-spoke networks are being developed to provide care for the approximately 1,600 people who suffer major trauma in Ireland each year. Each network has one designated Major Trauma Centre (MTC) for the treatment of major trauma and Trauma Units for the treatment of injuries of a lesser severity.
“Budget 2025 funding has now been allocated for the recruitment of staff for a new Trauma Unit at UHW as part of the South Trauma Network. The Trauma Unit will allow trauma patients with less severe injuries to be treated locally and to receive optimal trauma care within a coordinated and integrated system."
Minister Butler added: “The establishment of Trauma Units will also help to distribute the patient flow more evenly across the healthcare service and reduce pressure on other hospitals. The development of the unit at UHW represents another important step in the implementation of the Trauma Strategy, to ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care, in the right place, at the right time.”
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