Clinical Sites

UL Hospitals is one of six hospital networks established by the government in Ireland in 2013 under the Higgins Report. The UL Hospitals network serves the counties of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary with a population of 380,000 people. All Irish Hospitals are categorised into one of four models which determines the complexity of care delivered in each hospital (Table 1). Each network has an academic partner which for UL Hospitals is the University of Limerick.

Table 1. Types and activity in hospitals in Ireland

Source: The Report of the National Acute Medicine Programme (2010)

UL Hospitals comprises six hospitals of which University Hospital Limerick is a Model 4, Ennis Hospital and Nenagh Hospital are Model 2, and St John’s Hospital is a Model 2S. There are two ‘specialty hospitals’, Croom Hospital for Orthopaedics and University Maternity Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynaecology. ‘UL Hospitals’ is a single hospital that operates across six sites under one governance system. There are Model 1 hospitals in the region: Limerick (St Camillus’s), Newcastlewest (St Ita’s), Ennis (St Joseph’s) and Thurles (Hospital of the Assumption). These are under the governance of the community services and not technically part of the group. There is no model 3 hospital in the network.

• Visit the UL Hospitals website here. 
• University Hospital Limerick 
• University Maternity Hospital Limerick

Portiuncula University Hospital services Ballinasloe and the surrounding areas of East Galway, Roscommon, Westmeath, parts of Offaly and North Tipperary. In 2010 there were 10,818 in patient discharges and 7,974 day cases treated at the hospital and in excess of 42,000 people were seen at outpatient clinics. In 2010 there were 20,139 attendances at the Emergency Department. The hospital currently has 198 beds in operation spread across the specialties including a 24 bed day hospital.  

The Department of Medicine at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe incorporates the specialties of Medicine for the Elderly, Gastroenterology, Cardiology and Endocrinology. The Department of Surgery incorporates the specialties of General Surgery, Colorectal and Upper Gastro-Intestinal. The hospital has 3 major operating theatres along with 1 day theatre, 1 endoscopy suite and a minor procedures room.

For more information please contact Ms Emily Kelleher (Senior Administrator, Clinical Academic Liaison) on +353 (0) 90 9648260

St Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny is the Acute General Hospital that services the counties Carlow and Kilkenny providing health care for a population of  approximately 149,900 (Census 2011) . Due to its location in the heart of the South East, as highlighted in the map above, St Luke’s General Hospital in addition to the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny, also provides services to its bordering counties: Tipperary North and South, Waterford, Wexford, Kildare and Laois.  Most of these areas lie within a one hour commute of Kilkenny, which is of vital significance, particularly in emergency situations.

St Luke’s General Hospital has a bed capacity of 317 beds of which 21 are day case beds and provides General Medical, Surgical, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Paediatric, Psychiatry, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Oncology, Palliative Care and Anaesthetic services to the Carlow/Kilkenny area.  The following diagnostic services are also provided: Radiology including 64 slice CT scanning, Ultrasound, Dxa Scanning, Pathology, Cardiac Diagnostics and Endoscopy.  The therapy services provided include Physiotherapy, Speech and Language, Dietetic, Occupational Therapy and Social Work. The hospital also facilitates regional onsite services including dermatology, rheumatology, haematology, microbiology neurology, oncology, radiotherapy and a palliative care satellite unit.  Furthermore, the hospital is the site for regional services in Liver Diseases, ERCP and Endobiliary Endoscopy.

For further information please contact Ms Sarah Dermody (Senior Administrator, Clinical Academic Liaison) on +353 (0) 56 7717080

Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore is one of the few purpose-built, stand-alone hospital buildings outside of Dublin. In 2013 there were 11,871 in-patient discharges and 17,931 day cases treated at the hospital.  For the same year there were 30,700 attendances at the Emergency Department.  The hospital currently has 235 beds in operation spread across the specialties including a 23 bed day hospital.

The Department of Medicine at Midlands University Hospital, Tullamore incorporates the specialties of General Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Gerontology, Oncology, Radiology, Anaesthetics, Rheumatology and Haematology. The Department of Surgery incorporates the specialties of Orthopaedics, General Surgery and ENT.  The hospital has four major operating theatres along with two day theatres, an endoscopy suite and a minor procedures room.

For more information please contact Ms Niamh Horneck (Senior Administrator, Clinical Academic Liaison) on +353 (0)86 780 7890

Midland Regional Hospital, Port Laoise is a public hospital located in Port Laoise, County Laois. It provides acute-care hospital services, including a 24-hour emergency department for the population of County Laois and the Irish Midlands. In 2008, the hospital served 44,645 out-patients, and 10,951 in-patients. The hospital provides 200 beds, of which 140 are in-patient acute beds, while 10 are reserved for acute day cases. A further 50 beds are for psychiatric services.

Laois-Offaly Mental Health Services provides General Adult, Psychiatry of Later Life, Rehabilitation/Recovery, Child and Adolescent and Intellectual Disability speciality care for people residing in the two counties. These services are delivered by Community Mental Health Teams located throughout Counties Laois and Offaly. Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry services are also provided for Midland Regional Hospitals Port Laoise and Tullamore. A long stay psychiatric ward (Maryborough Centre, St. Fintan's Health Campus) for older people with dementia and other complex disorders has also been redeveloped extensively in recent years.

In-patient services include general medicine, general surgery, accident and emergency, oncology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, haematology, paediatrics, anaesthesia and radiology.

Awards - Accreditation Pathology Department: The Blood Transfusion Department first achieved Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) Accreditation in 2008; the Haematology Department first achieved INAB Accreditation in 2010 and the Bio-Chemistry Department first achieved INAB Accreditation in 2012. All three departments have maintained INAB Accreditation since the date of first achievement.

Cardiac Diagnostics Department: In November, 2014 the Echo Laboratory achieved accreditation (for 5 years) from the European Society of Cardiology - European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Acute Paediatric Link Nurse: In November, 2014 the Acute Paediatric Link Nurse was awarded a highly commended 2nd place in the HSE National Healthcare Awards.

Laois HSE Physiotherapy Service: In early 2014 the Laois HSE Physiotherapy Service received an award, for Clinical Innovation, from the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists.

Paediatrics: UL students have always greatly enjoyed and valued their Paediatric rotation at the Port Laoise site. The annual birth rate is approximately 2,000. The Paediatric Ward has 25 cots/beds. There are 8 cots in SCBU (the Special Care Baby Unit). Each year the Paediatric department caters for approximately 12,000 ED attendances for children, with approximately 2,000 medical Paediatric ward admissions. 

Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel is the acute hospital service for South Tipperary and provides services to the bordering areas of North Tipperary and West Waterford increasing the catchment area up to 135,000. It is a 255-bed hospital.  A number of outreach outpatient clinics, radiology services, Alzheimer's, Mental Health and Disability Units and a Minor Injuries Unit remain operational at Our Lady's Hospital Cashel in accordance.

The Obstetric Department, Tipperary University Hospital provides outreach clinics in both Thurles and Tipperary Town.

For further information please contact Ms Christina Moylan (Senior Administrator, Clinical Academic Liaison) on +353 (0) 52 6177933

Bon Secours Hospital Limerick at Barrington’s has recently become part of the Bon Secours Health System, Ireland's largest independent healthcare provider incorporating a network of five modern acute hospitals in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Tralee. Situated in the heart of Limerick city on George's Quay the hospital was established in 1929.

The Hospital, a grand part of Limerick City’s Architectural Heritage, remained dormant in the subsequent 3 years after its closure. An old building without a purpose will quickly fall into disrepair so fortunately in 1991 it was acquired by the late Mr. Paul O’Byrne, General & Vascular Consultant Surgeon. He recognised the need for a private hospital facility in the Mid-West region. The hospital was small at first, functioning on only one of its four floors and employing 15 people. After a number of years it progressively began to open on other floors; however it was clear that the hospital needed significant upgrading and refurbishment. It also needed to look towards the future and develop as a private healthcare facility in a changing and modernising society. With dedicated staff to help the Hospital develop and grow, it is now and still Limerick’s only Private Hospital. Today, it is an Internationally Accredited Hospital, recognised for the priority of best practices in medical practice, technology and day surgery. It was accredited in 2009 by JCI (Joint Commission International) and re-accredited again in 2015.
https://www.bonsecours.ie/limerick