Ballina will be the location for new HSE medical facility
Cllr Michael Loftus raised the issue at a meeting of the Health Forum West.
A unit to treat minor injuries should be up and running in Ballina in "a few years", according to the HSE.
In response to a query from Cllr Michael Loftus at the Health Forum West, held in Galway last week, Saolta Interim CEO Ann Cosgrove told the Ballina councillor that the project is under discussion.
“First and foremost, we support having a local injury unit in Ballina serving Mayo and South Sligo as well. This is early stages. Last year a review was carried out and it was recommended that a number of such units should be developed across the country and across our region, from Donegal down to Clare. We have put forward for three injury units and one of these would be in Ballina.
“At the moment, population planning and site assessment is ongoing so it will take a few years before this is set up. So it’s early days but we are working on it and we will also be looking to see can we introduce services using some existing accommodation. It is not possible to give a more definitive timeline on it other than to say we are working on it with our national colleagues.”
Ms Cosgrove added in a written reply: “As part of a national plan for the expansion of injury units, an implementation group was established in 2024 with the objective of developing a proposal to provide more equitable and convenient access to injury units for an appropriate cohort of suitable patients.
"As part of same, criteria such as population within a 30-minute drive time, population need and equitable access, Ballina has been identified as a suitable region in this regard and will be included in the overall expansion plan. This implementation group will submit a national proposal to the senior management team and subsequently to the Department of Health.”
Cllr Loftus paid tribute to the injury unit operating in Roscommon and the staff working there, saying it was a great success that could be replicated in Ballina.
“Someone from Belmullet has to travel over three hours to attend the Roscommon unit, so Ballina would be an ideal location for an injury unit and I like hearing it is going to progress.”
