Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has announced details of the €4 million allocation for further implementation of the National Trauma Strategy as part of Budget 2025.
The funding, which has a full year cost of €8 million in 2026, will facilitate:
- 90 additional staff to progress the development of an inclusive trauma system.
- Additional staffing for opening and commissioning of important capital projects at the two Major Trauma Centres in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Cork University Hospital.
- Establishment of a Trauma Unit with Specialist Services at University Hospital Galway.
- Development of Planned Trauma Care services at Merlin Park, Galway.
- Investment in additional staffing for the Trauma Units at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and University Hospital Waterford.
This additional funding in Budget 2025 is being provided to progress the development of our national trauma services and will allow for the achievement of important milestones across the Central and South trauma networks.
Minister Donnelly said:
“The funding I have allocated for 2025 brings the total investment in the National Trauma Strategy to €16.65 million to date. Building on significant progress, the investment in 2025 will ensure the continued delivery of an inclusive trauma system. International best practice tells us that the introduction of inclusive trauma systems significantly reduces the number of deaths and disabilities caused by major trauma.
“This funding will enable us to continue our mission to deliver real and radical change in the delivery of trauma care. We’re targeting investment in critical areas in order to ensure that patients with severe trauma receive rapid access to quality care in order to achieve the best possible health outcomes.”
CEO of the Health Service Executive Bernard Gloster said:
“I welcome this additional funding for the National Trauma Strategy. Major trauma involves injuries which have the potential to cause prolonged disability or death, and this additional funding will further enable the implementation of an inclusive trauma system and trauma services across the country where patients will receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”
HSE National Clinical Lead for Trauma Services Keith Synnott added:
“This funding is extremely welcome as it will allow us to build on the fundamentals that have been put in place as part of the trauma system implementation plan. The next steps of the implementation plan will allow for a strategic alignment between trauma and scheduled care and allow us to achieve important milestones across the Central and South trauma networks to improve patient outcomes.”
The funding will enable additional staffing for the opening and commissioning of important capital projects at the two Major Trauma Centres in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Cork University Hospital, as well as additional staffing for the new Trauma Unit with Specialist Services at University Hospital Galway (UHG). This unit will provide for additional trauma presentations at the Emergency Department at UHG and specialist spinal services for the region.
Additionally, investment will be provided to develop Planned Trauma Care Services at Merlin Park, Galway which will address the demands of both trauma and scheduled care and allow for low complexity trauma to be managed on a planned, day case basis.
Funding has also been allocated to develop the Trauma Units at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and University Hospital Waterford. These Trauma Units will deliver trauma care of lesser severity in their regions.
