‘A proud day for Nenagh Hospital’ as new Women’s Health Hub opens – Lowry

‘This is a proud day for Nenagh Hospital and for the people of the region. It is a most welcome addition to the services offered at the Hospital for women who, until now, have had to travel long distances for this level of care’ said Deputy Michael Lowry following the Official Opening of the new Women’s Health Regional Hub at Nenagh Hospital on Friday.

‘This new specialist Women’s Health Regional Hub will provide care and support for women's gynaecological health, including a specialist menopause clinic. This will be the first new Menopause Clinic to be opened outside Dublin and only the second in the country. A specialist Consultant led fertility service is also due to open at the new Hub later this year.

‘The aim of the Women’s Health Hub is to improve women’s health through a new Model of Care under the HSE’s National Women’s and Infants health programme. It will give women speedier access to services and aims to cut hospital admissions’ he added.

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, attended to officially open the new Hub, which is located in the new €1.4m extension built at the Outpatients Department at Nenagh Hospital. The Minister said that ‘We have a dark history when it comes to women’s healthcare.

What is happening here today is securing the future of women’s health. This Hub will provide a streamlined patient focused treatment’ The new Health Hub comes under the clinical governance of University Maternity Hospital Limerick.

In addition to providing much-needed health services for women and adolescent girls, it will also have benefits for the UHL hospital system overall by freeing up clinic and theatre capacity for the management of more complex gynaecological patients. The management of less complex investigations and procedures can now take place in the clinic in Nenagh.

The clinic at Nenagh will provide what are described as ambulatory gynaecology services. It will be a one-stop 'see and treat’ clinic where woman can receive access to expert medical and nursing diagnostic care, including ultrasound and biopsy services on site, following a referral by their GP.

It aims to improve access to diagnostics and treatment, resulting in fewer hospital visits and reducing overall wait times for women. It will also provide services to teenage girls and adolescents who experience difficult gynaecological conditions in their teenage years.