The UL Hospitals Group has confirmed its plan to set up a contracted Haemodialysis service in Ennis. This unit will be similar to the satellite centre already operating on the Dock Road in Limerick. The Group has been engaging in the tender process to find a suitable provider for the Contracted Satellite Hemodialysis Unit service in Ennis.

The tender process has progressed, and the UL Hospitals Group has met with several qualified renal providers. These companies have been shortlisted, and they will present their proposals this month. Whichever company is selected for the contract will provide the necessary dialysis machines.

The governance of this unit will be under the UL Hospitals Group, and a designated Consultant Nephrologist from the Renal Unit at University Hospital Limerick will provide clinical oversight. The tender specification includes the provision for four isolation rooms, a gowning area for patients with blood-borne viral illnesses, as well as the ability to facilitate 1:1 and 1:2 nursing.

Currently, patients from County Clare have to travel to either the Renal Department at University Hospital Limerick or the satellite centre on the Dock Road in Limerick. However, the UL Hospitals Group has expressed its commitment to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the establishment of a haemodialysis unit in Ennis.

The UL Hospitals Group aims to provide enhanced accessibility and convenience for patients in the region by establishing this contracted Haemodialysis service in Ennis.