John Wall of the HSE Mid West Regional Patient and Service User Council said they were satisfied that the minister and her team clearly understood the Council’s position and “our unwavering desire towards the only acceptable outcome from the recent Hiqa review on urgent and emergency care”.

“Our priority and that of the elected representatives must be to ensure that the significant risk to patient safety identified by Hiqa is mitigated as soon as possible and Options A and B together is the only solution to improve access and delivering high quality acute hospital care, prioritising patient safety for the people of the Mid West region,” the patient council said in a statement.

Option A involves increasing bed capacity at the Limerick hospital site. Option B would see the campus extended to include another nearby site, sharing governance and resources although it would not have a second emergency department.

Option C is to develop a new hospital with its own new emergency department.

The patient group said that identifying a greenfield site for option B allows for consideration to a multiphase programme which may develop Option C in the future.

“The HSE Regional Patient and Service User Council fully endorse the cross-party letter from Mid West elected representatives to Minister Carroll MacNeill to identify this site with a costed delivery plan by April 2026.

“Option A involves a major expansion of inpatient bed capacity and supporting services at UHL and the other existing hospitals in the region to close the current demand – capacity gap and improve safety and flow for people requiring acute and emergency care.

“Option B, represents an acute hospital per Hiqa’s report, but developed in stages to allow early access to the new hospital.

“The options represent the only viable approach in progressing a sustainable, future proofed acute hospital delivery model for almost half a million patients in the region.

“We strongly believe the people of the Mid West are entitled to expect a service that is fit for purpose and can respond with a safe service level, progressing these options is the only way to achieve this outcome.”

The council strongly urged the Minister to act “decisively and without delay” in adopting Options A and B in the best interests of the population of the Mid West.

“Only then will the people of the region be assured that delivery of essential acute healthcare services is commencing, alongside equitable access comparable to that provided nationwide,” the council said in a statement.