Planning board for the Mid-West set up to improve healthcare
The Mid-West health planning board is due to start working in September
A MID-WEST health planning board, as was promised to oversee a service and infrastructure plan for the region, has been put in place by the Minister for Health and they will start working in September.
The health planning board will build on work already underway across the region, including the expansion of bed capacity at UHL, the acquisition of the Raheen site, and the ongoing implementation of the Government’s blended approach to the HIQA recommendations.
The board will begin its work in September and finalise the delivery of the service and infrastructure plan for the Mid-West within nine months.
This was one of the Government promises made following the HIQA recommendations in 2025 to improve emergency and urgent healthcare in the Mid-West.
The health board will be chaired by Sean O’Driscoll and made up of 12 senior HSE leaders, including regional executive officer for the Mid-West Sandra Broderick and experts from service delivery, clinical care, infrastructure, finance and enterprise, along with patient and service-user representation.
They will focus on how care can be delivered in hospital, community and primary care settings, as well as how to relieve pressure on University Hospital Limerick and how existing and future hospital locations can work together for the whole region.
The board is charged with overseeing the development of a credible roadmap for safe, accessible and sustainable healthcare in the Mid-West, ensuring that decisions are informed by evidence, with regional input, and the needs of patients and communities.
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “People in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary need a long-term solution for improved healthcare – quality care close to home – that meets the needs of the people of the region, irrespective of their geography.
“We had a positive development with the purchase of the site at Raheen in March of this year and today’s announcement is the next step in our work to bring care closer to home for the people and patients of the region.”
She added that Mr O’Driscoll as chair brings “vast commercial, industry and research experience as well as a focus on delivering results, which we have seen most recently through his work on the accelerating infrastructure taskforce.
“I hope his appointment is a signal to the people of the region of just how seriously we are taking the development of healthcare services and infrastructure for them. I am grateful to Sean for accepting this position, along with all members of the Board, he will undertake this work on a pro-bono basis.”
“People in the Mid-West have waited too long for the improvements that are needed and they rightly expect to see real progress. This is a huge opportunity to be ambitious for the patients and for the future of healthcare development in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary.”
Minister of State at the Department of Health for Older People, Kieran O’Donnell TD said: “As chair, Sean O’Driscoll brings a wealth of experience through his role in advising Government as part of the accelerating infrastructure task force and his significant commercial experience.
“The board will set out a vital roadmap for the current and future healthcare needs of patients, their families and staff in Limerick and the region, including providing the additional capacity that is very much required.”
Fianna Fáil Senator Dee Ryan said that the establishment of the health planning board is key to making progress in healthcare in the region.
“It is essential that we deliver the additional capacity and modern healthcare infrastructure that the people of the Mid-West deserve.
“For me, there are two key questions that this process must answer. First, how many additional hospital beds will be delivered, and will we reach the target of 600 beds by 2040? Second, will we finally see maternity services located at Raheen as part of the region's long-term healthcare infrastructure?”