Get the right help fast, this winter
We are working with our colleagues at HSE Mid West Community Healthcare to encourage our community to consider all their care options and ‘Get the right help fast, this winter’, if they become unwell or get injured. Our new winter graphic (below) sets out the care options clearly.
On social media (X, Instagram and Facebook), we’re posting the graphic & hashtag #MyHealthMidwest, asking people to visit our website to:
Sepsis Education
Sepsis is a time dependent medical emergency. Sepsis education is mandatory for relevant healthcare workers.
Sepsis elearning for adults including obstetric patients and a separate elearning for paediatrics can be accessed on HSELand.
Sepsis resources are available and can be downloaded from QPULSE, NCHD app, Nursing app, ihub, microguide app or the HSE sepsis website.
These resources include:
- Sepsis form
- Clinical support tools
- Algorithms
- National Clinical Guidelines for Sepsis Management
Health Service Excellence Awards
UL Hospitals Group had three finalists in the 2023 health Service Excellence Awards and one Category Winner. Congratulations to each member of the teams, it was a fantastic achievement and a testament to your hard work.
| Achievement | Project |
| Winner | Development of a postnatal Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Clinic to support women following a traumatic birth experience: The Lavender Clinic |
| Finalist | Thinking Delirium- implementing education, screening and management strategies |
| Finalist | UL Hospitals Non Consultant Healthcare Doctors (NCHDs) App |
| Finalist | ACDC - Accelerated Community Discharge Care-Plan for hip fracture patients |
Pictured L to R: Hannah Murphy, Occupational Therapist Trauma Ward, UHL, Verity Hayes, NDTP & HSA Coordinator, ULHG CEO Professor Colette Cowan, Alice Jose Akkara, enhanced staff nurse on 3A and Maria Gibbons, Advanced Midwife Practitioner, UMHL.
Irish Heart Foundation Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award
Congratulations to the catering team in Nenagh Hospital on achieving the Gold Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award. Through the award programme, catering facilities are assisted and supported to adopt healthier cooking practices and provide healthier food choices.
Pictured above: Anne Starr McDonagh Catering Officer with Michael Murphy Chef , Aneesh Paul and Eilis Flynn, catering staff.
Pictured above: Bernie Nolan, ADON and Anne Starr McDonagh and Mary Walsh, catering staff.
Power of Collaboration Conference
The first Mid West Academic Health Science System conference “The Power of Collaboration: Building an Academic Health Science System in the Midwest Region” was held on 8th Dec 2023.
The conference demonstrated the value of an academic culture of teaching, research and innovation, in providing opportunities for all health professionals and improved patient outcomes. The keynote speaker Professor David Burn shared the academic health science structure in Newcastle, England, its development and impact on their surrounding communities.
Pictured L to R: colleagues from UL Hospitals, University of Limerick, HSE Midwest Community & Public Health Midwest: Prof David Burn, Mairead de Brun, Maria Bridgeman, Dr Patrick O’Donnell, Prof Leonard O’Sullivan, Dr Mai Mannix, Ann Marie Bright, Prof Audrey Tierney, Prof Vincent Cunnane, Suzanne Dunne, Prof Alan Donnelly, Miriam McCarthy, Prof Helen Whelton, Prof Paul Burke, Verity Hayes & Dovile Lee.
The UL Hospitals Podcast
UL Hospitals Podcast now has four episodes available. See the most recent two podcasts outlined below.
In episode 3 we focus on Intensive Care Nursing at UHL. We spoke to Ellie Scanlan, Staff Nurse in ICU at UHL, Linda Daffy, Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM3) in Critical Care at UHL; and Ger Crilly, Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM2), Clinical Placement Coordinator, UHL.
In episode 4 we focus on the Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital. We spoke to Dr Cormac Mehigan, Consultant in Emergency Medicine & Lead, Ennis Injury Unit; & Mhairi Barron, Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
You can find the podcast Spotify, Amazon, Acast and on the ULHG Staff app
HSE Safe Driving for Work Policy
The purpose of the HSE Safe Driving for Work Policy is to ensure that employees and anyone driving on behalf of the HSE drive safely, reliably, and responsibly.
This applies to both HSE vehicles and private vehicles (when travel expenses are provided).
Driving for work poses risks not only to the driver but also to passengers, service users, and the public.
The Policy provides guidance to managers for conducting risk assessments in consultation with their staff, considering various factors.
Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Presentations 2022 v’s 2023
Urgent and Emergency Care includes ED, Injury Units and Medical Assessment Units. Total UEC attendances in 2023 increased by 3% compared with 2022.
| Area | 2022 | 2023 | % increase |
| Emergency Department | 79,884 | 80,052 | 0.2% |
| Injury units | 44,004 | 46,702 | 6.1% |
| Medical Assessment Units: | 12,683 | 15,006 | 18.3& |
| Overall Total | 136,571 | 141,760 | 3.8% |
HSE Electronic Communications Policy
Your HSE Outlook email is the only email service that may be used by an individual when sending work related emails.
The use of third party web based email services when sending HSE confidential or restricted information is strictly prohibited. Examples of third party email services include Gmail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud Mail.
The HSE Electronic Communications Policy 2019 clearly outlines our responsibilities as HSE employees. If you have any queries in relation to this matter please contact igo.ulhg@hse.ie.
IGO Information Governance Office - UL Hospitals Group Data Protection – is Everyone’s Responsibility
Infection Prevention & Control Training
The UL Hospitals Group Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team started the New Year in the gym.
38 Physiotherapists attended IPC Training on 3rd January 2024 in the Physio Department gym.
Pictured: Mairead Downey, IPC nurse providing training to our Physiotherapists.
The IPC team are available to visit all clinical areas to facilitate IPC related training, email requests to acuteipcnurses@hse.ie or caroline.oshaughnessy1@hse.ie.
Cath Lab Replacement UHL
A temporary Cath Lab will be in place on the UHL site from Tuesday the 9th of January while upgrading works on the existing Cath Lab are underway. This temporary Cath Lab will be located close to the CERC building entrance.
The current Cath Labs are over 10 years old and have reached end of life. The system will be replaced by a Philips Azurion 7 C12 ceiling mounted system which will allow for improved patient and staff experience.
Benefits include:
- Greater patient safety
- Improved patient outcomes
- new procedure ability
- Increase number of procedures
Revised Dignity at Work Policy
Central to the delivery of the highest possible quality health service is a working environment where employees feel valued, recognised & safe.
Bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace has a negative effect on employee work performance and wellbeing.
As an employee in the public health service, you have the right to work in a safe environment, free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. You also have a duty to treat others with dignity and respect and be aware of how your behaviour may affect colleagues.
You will find a presentation on the Dignity at Work Policy on iHub under ULHG HR. More information on the policy here
| 9th January | Temporary Cath Lab in place at UHL |
| 12th January | Healthcare Records relocates to Houston Hall |
| 12th January | Closing date for Spark abstracts |
| 17th January | Open Disclosure Workshop 9am CERC Tutorial room 7&8 |