In a significant move to improve emergency medical services, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has revealed plans to invest €4 million in Ireland’s National Trauma Strategy as part of Budget 2025. This funding, set to double to €8 million in 2026, aims to revolutionize trauma care across the country.
The investment will bring 90 new staff members into the trauma care system and support crucial developments at major hospitals. Two key beneficiaries are the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin and Cork University Hospital, both designated as Major Trauma Centres.
University Hospital Galway is also set for a major upgrade, with plans to establish a new Trauma Unit with Specialist Services. Additionally, Merlin Park in Galway will see the development of Planned Trauma Care services, while hospitals in Drogheda and Waterford will receive funding to enhance their trauma units.
Minister Donnelly emphasized the importance of this investment, stating, “This funding will enable us to continue our mission to deliver real and radical change in the delivery of trauma care.” He added that the goal is to ensure patients with severe injuries receive rapid, high-quality care to achieve the best possible outcomes.
HSE CEO Bernard Gloster welcomed the funding, highlighting its potential to save lives and reduce disabilities caused by major trauma. Keith Synnott, HSE National Clinical Lead for Trauma Services, expressed enthusiasm about the strategic alignment between trauma and scheduled care that this investment will allow.
The new funding builds on previous investments, bringing the total allocation for the National Trauma Strategy to €16.65 million. This initiative is part of a broader plan, approved by the government in 2018, to create an inclusive trauma system that can effectively treat the approximately 1,600 patients who suffer major trauma in Ireland each year.
With this significant boost in funding, Ireland is taking a major step forward in emergency medical care, promising better outcomes for patients across the country.