New Ballina injury unit prepares to welcome patients
A walk-in service for non-life-threatening injuries is due to begin a phased opening on Monday. Based at the local hospital, it aims to ease emergency department pressure and eventually treat up to 10,000 people each year.
A new injury unit in Ballina will begin treating patients on Monday 16 November, offering an alternative to the emergency department for people with non-life-threatening injuries.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill visited the facility on Thursday and met staff ahead of its opening. The HSE expects it to treat 8,000 to 10,000 patients a year and help ease pressure on Mayo University Hospital’s emergency department.
On the Ballina Hospital site on Mercy Road, the walk-in unit will initially open from 10am to 4pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. The HSE anticipates opening daily from 8am to 8pm by late December.
The team can treat broken bones, sprains, minor burns and wounds, with X-ray and diagnostic services on site. No appointment is needed. Patients must be aged five or over; the €75 charge is waived for medical card holders and those with a GP referral letter.
Carroll MacNeill said the service was “an important step forward for urgent care services in Mayo and across the wider region”. Minister Dara Calleary welcomed the development for Ballina and the wider community.
HSE manager Mary Warde encouraged patients to consider the care options available, while Mayo University Hospital manager Catherine Donohoe said safe alternatives were crucial amid rising emergency department attendance.