New Palliative Care Unit in Waterford

Wednesday, 1st August 2012

Labour T.D. for Waterford, Ciara Conway, is giving a warm welcome to the news that the HSE has been given the go-ahead to appoint a design team for a Palliative Care Unit at Waterford Regional Hospital

“This is something that a lot of people across Waterford and the South East have been waiting on for a very long time, so it’s very welcome news indeed”, said Deputy Conway.

Richard Dooley, Area Manager for Waterford/Wexford Health Services has confirmed that the HSE can go ahead and appoint a design team for a 5 floor Palliative care building on the WRH site. This will be a state of the art facility, and it will provide the best possible care for people who are at the end of their lives.

“Tributes must be paid to the Waterford Hospice movement and the campaigners who have been working on this for many years. This announcement is a small but very significant step towards the building of a very important and much-needed facility,” Mr Dooley said.

Labour Party Councillor and member of the HSE Regional Health Forum, Seamus Ryan, has welcomed the announcement that the Palliative Care Unit and Hospice at WRH is to move to design stage. However, Cllr Ryan, who has campaigned for this unit for a number of years, stated that while the decision to proceed to design stage is welcome, the campaign for the Palliative Care Unit and Hospice must continue until funding for the project has been secured. While paying tribute to Waterford Hospice movement for their ongoing campaign and fundraising, Cllr Ryan stated that it is more important now than ever before that this matter is kept top of the health agenda. The government and HSE must address the development of full cancer services at Waterford Regional Hospital including this unit. "As a long time campaigner for improved Cancer services in Waterford I give a guarded welcome to this news. Like other long time campaigners on this issue, I will not rest until Waterford has its new Palliative Care Unit and Hospice in Waterford Regional Hospital.”