Minister for Health, Simon Harris visits The Rotunda Hospital
03rd November, 2016: Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD, has today visited The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. The Rotunda Hospital is one of the busiest maternity hospitals in Ireland, looking after over 10,800 pregnant women each year.
The Rotunda Hospital has been in operation at the Parnell Square campus for 260 years, with the main inpatient building remaining in continuous use since the doors first opened on 8th December, 1757, making the Rotunda Hospital the longest-serving maternity hospital in the world.
The Minister’s visit included a tour of the premises, provided by Professor Fergal Malone, Master of the Rotunda. This afforded an opportunity to discuss a range of issues which are high on the priority list of the Hospital’s Executive Management Team including:
- Human and financial resources
- Current infrastructural constraints
- Co- location plans with Connolly Hospital
The Rotunda is the lead maternity centre for the RCSI Hospitals Group and the services at the hospital are provided by a staff of 863 dedicated personnel.
Speaking on Minister Harris’ visit, Prof Fergal Malone, Master of The Rotunda Hospital, said: “I welcomed the face-to-face engagement with Minister Harris and in particular the opportunity to show him the constraints which Rotunda staff operate on a daily basis. I also took the opportunity to outline the Rotunda’s determination to continue providing the highest standard of care to our patients at our current location while actively planning the development of a co-location maternity hospital at Connolly Hospital.”