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Minister for Health Leo Varadkar unveils the plaque renaming Kerry General Hospital to University Hospital Kerry. Included is Deputy Arthur Spring, Deputy Brendan Griffin, TJ O’Connor (UHC), Minister Varadkar, Minister Jimmy Deenihan and Professor Geraldine McCarthy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
MINISTER for Health, Leo Varadkar was in Tralee earlier today to formally rename Kerry General Hospital as University Hospital Kerry.
The Minister also officially opened a number of recent service improvements including a new CT scanner, Diabetes Services and the hospital’s UCC Education Centre. And he visited the planned site for the new In-patient Palliative Care Unit.
The formal renaming of Kerry General Hospital to University Hospital Kerry links it formally to eight other acute hospitals in counties Kerry, Cork, Waterford, and South Tipperary, with Kilkreene Regional Orthopaedic Hospital in Kilkenny, and with UCC as the primary academic partner.
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Speaking at the renaming ceremony, Minister Varadkar said: “This is a really significant day and it’s great news for patients, for staff and for Kerry and the wider region. The hospital’s new role as University Hospital Kerry can only add to the quality of care available. It shows the real potential of hospital groups to share skills and experience across a region, and ensure that patients can access high standards of healthcare across the country. It also provides opportunities for medics to learn and train in one the most beautiful parts of Ireland, if not the world.”
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At the University Hospital Kerry name changing ceremony were, from left: Dr Rob Landers, Olivia O’Rahilly, Patricia Griffin, Katrina O’Neill, Joe Counihan. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
The partnership with UCC expands the hospital’s role as a teaching hospital, providing new teaching, research and education opportunities. The hospital’s new status will help in recruiting and retaining staff.
A new leading-edge CT scanner has been installed at University Hospital Kerry providing a much improved service to patients requiring CT.
This new scanner allows for a full cardiac CT scanning service and CT bowel colonoscopy service for the first time in the Kerry region. The scanner also emits lower radiation doses and a higher image quality than other scanners.
The Minister also opened the newly refurbished diabetes centre. Patients with diabetes can be seen by all members of the multi-disciplinary diabetes team during a single visit which is a much more patient-friendly approach.
The centre will accept patients referred from multiple sources including GPs, the Emergency Department and the Acute Medical Admission Unit.
Due to its increased size and capacity, the service expects to increase patient activity from approximately 3,000 patient reviews and contacts per year to over 4,000.
The UCC Education Centre at University Hospital Kerry provides education, training and clinical placement of students, trainees and HSE professionals.
The Minister also visited the site for the new 15 bed Specialist Inpatient Unit in Palliative Medicine, which is a joint project between University Hospital Kerry and the Kerry Hospice Foundation.
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At the University Hospital Kerry name changing ceremony were, from left: Paula O’Leary, Dr Tom Higgins and Dr Claire O’Brien. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
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At the University Hospital Kerry name changing ceremony were, from left: Mary O’Dywer, Michael Cahillane and Maureen Fitzgearld. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
At the University Hospital Kerry name changing ceremony were, from left: Bernadine Healy, Martina O’Sullivan Darcy and Thabsile Simelne. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
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At the University Hospital Kerry name changing ceremony were, from left: Dymphna Griffin, Joe Counihan and Fiona Lawlor. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
At the University Hospital Kerry name changing ceremony were, from left, front: Dr Rob Landers, Minister Leo Varadkar, Prof Geraldine McCarthy, Jerry O’Dwyer. Back: Prof John Higgins, Deputy Arthur Spring, Deputy Brendan Griffin, TJ O’Connor, Minister Jimmy Deenihan, Mary Shea, Helena Moore and Grace O’Donnell. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
