This week, the HSE’s South East Palliative Care Centre marked three years of operation as a vital inpatient facility.
The Centre is part of the €31.26 million “Dunmore Wing” project, a five-storey development completed in 2019 at University Hospital Waterford (UHW). The South East Palliative Care Centre occupies the ground and first floors of this wing, while the upper floors house 72 single inpatient rooms for UHW.
The Waterford Hospice Movement (WHM) contributed €6 million to the Centre’s establishment and operates its offices within the facility. WHM continues to offer patient comforts, equipment, amenities, complementary therapies, and counselling services for patients and families connected to the South East Palliative Care Service, whether they are receiving care at home or at the Centre.
The ground floor (Oak Ward) features 20 inpatient bedrooms, each with individual patio gardens, catering to patients who need the expertise of a specialized palliative care multidisciplinary team. The first floor (Beech Ward) hosts day services, outpatient appointment facilities, and the WHM’s office, along with the Waterford Community Specialist Palliative Care Team’s home care service.
The South East Palliative Care Centre serves as the hub for palliative care in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, and South Tipperary, enhancing the existing consultant-led integrated model of care available across acute hospitals and community healthcare services in the region.
Staff at the Centre collaborate closely with Community Specialist Palliative Care Teams across the area, including those based in Aut Even Hospital, Kilkenny; the HSE Community Care Centre in Clonmel; and Ely Hospital in Wexford.
A small celebration was held on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, to thank staff for their dedication over the past three years.
Barbara Murphy, Chair of the Waterford Hospice Movement, and Liz Malone, Community Intervention Team Manager at Caredoc, attended the event. Anna Marie Lanigan, Head of Service/Primary Care with HSE Dublin and South East, remarked, “The South East Palliative Care Centre has successfully established itself as a specialist inpatient and outpatient centre for the region. The 20 en-suite rooms in the Oak Ward have provided dignity to patients and families during difficult times.”
Looking ahead, staff at the Centre remain committed to their mission, working in close cooperation with acute hospital and primary care services, in line with the Sláintecare strategy, and maintaining strong connections with community care groups.
