Health Minister to visit Mayo University Hospital
Health Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, will visit various locations across County Mayo on Monday, November 17, for a series of important engagements.
The Minister’s schedule includes meetings with staff at Ballina District Hospital to review service provisions, the official launch of The Sunflower Children’s Hospice with the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, and a visit to Mayo Cancer Connect at Rock Rose House for the unveiling of its new strategic plan.
A central focus of her visit will be Mayo University Hospital (MUH), where discussions are expected to take place on critical infrastructure priorities and ongoing understaffing issues.
MUH has been the focus of recent concern following planned, and subsequently postponed, industrial action by members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) in the Emergency Department (ED).
The union cited unsafe working conditions, incomplete rosters, chronic understaffing, and persistently high trolley numbers, all of which are placing both staff and patients at risk.
Industrial action scheduled for Monday, November 3, was deferred to allow INMO members to ballot on a HSE proposal aimed at addressing unsafe staffing levels.
The union is calling for full implementation of the HSE’s Safe Staffing Framework in the Emergency Department, which would see 28.5 whole-time equivalent (WTE) nursing positions filled to meet recommended safe staffing levels.
Minster Carroll MacNeill has previously stated that phase one of the framework is nearing completion, with between 27.5 and 29.5 positions filled across general medical and surgical wards, and the remaining two roles were to be filled by the end of October.
Phase two, she said, had been delayed due to administrative issues. This phase affects the ED, and currently 18.5 WTE positions have been sanctioned for recruitment, 15.5 of which are nursing positions.
However, this figure has been disputed by the INMO and staff working in the ED, who say there is currently a shortfall of more than 10 WTE nurses.
Assistant Director of Industrial Relations for the West for the INMO, Colm Porter, previously said, “Attempts to downplay the severity of the situation in Mayo by the Minister for Health and hospital management in recent days are contrary to the very real lived experiences of our members and the patients they are trying to provide safe care to.”
The Minister has rejected claims that MUH is understaffed, stating that the issue lies in an imbalance of staffing rather than an overall shortage.
She made the comment in response to Mayo TD Deputy Paul Lawless, who raised concerns in the Dáil about the issue of overcrowding and understaffing at MUH in September.
Deputy Lawless highlighted that ED presentations reached as many as 165 in a single day, citing one case in which a patient waited 13 hours on the back of an ambulance before being admitted.
He said staff at MUH are “shouldering the consequences of mismanagement” and renewed the call for the immediate implementation of the Safe Staffing Framework.
The Minister’s visit comes just ahead of the release of the HSE Service and Capital Plans. Under Budget 2026, the health sector is set to receive €27.4b.
Minister of State Alan Dillon has described the visit as “an important opportunity to advance discussions and progress on priorities that will strengthen healthcare in Mayo.”
He said his focus for the county includes continued progress on the new ED and Acute Medical Assessment Unit at MUH, and securing additional resources to manage the increase in ED presentations, as well as resources for staffing levels that “reflect the reality on the ground”.
“We know there are challenges around staffing, weekend discharges, and diagnostic capacity,” he said, “We need solutions that work for Mayo’s rural profile and high demand. That means fair allocation of resources and a clear roadmap for improvement.”
“This visit is about delivery, progress, and constructive engagement to secure solutions and commitments. Mayo University Hospital and Ballina District Hospital are central to healthcare in this region, and they need investment to match the growing demand.
“At the same time, we must continue to support the incredible work being done by Mayo Cancer Support and the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation,
“These are the solutions and commitments we need to secure with the Minister, the HSE, and local hospital management,” he said.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.