My Job: Providing modern, accessible healthcare to Munster's growing population
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: Sandra Daly
: CEO, Mater Private Network, Cork
: The Mater recently unveiled its expanded Emergency Department and Urgent Cardiac Care facility, increasing its capacity for emergency patient care by 30%.
The expanded Emergency Department and Urgent Cardiac Care infrastructure project at Mater Private Hospital has increased capacity for emergency patient care by up to a third, significantly enhancing emergency and urgent cardiac care capabilities in Cork and the wider Munster region. Streamlining consultant-led and delivered treatment to same-day diagnostics, it includes rapid access to onsite key specialities such as general medicine, surgery, cardiology, urology, pain management, spinal surgery and orthopaedics.
“There is clear and proven evidence that the Cork hospitals as currently configured are unable to meet current and future needs of growing demographic pressures and the needs of a growing Cork economy,” Sandra Daly explains. “The profile of health service use and growth indicates that services in the region will become increasingly stretched over the next 10 years — now is the time to invest ambitiously,” she says.
“The provision of modern, accessible and safe healthcare services is a key enabler when planning for ‘people and place’. I firmly believe Cork has an opportunity to become an influential leading city region.”
There has been an additional €30 million of operating capital invested since the Mater Cork’s opening, with an ambitious programme for further investment. In just a decade, the hospital has doubled its bed capacity, increased its workforce four-fold and is now treating over 74,000 patients per annum.
“The expansion of the Emergency Department and Urgent Cardiac Care facility comes at a most opportune time. This development significantly enhances the hospital’s ability to provide timely emergency and urgent cardiac care services, rapid access to consultant-led care and same-day diagnostics.”
With over 2,500 staff and 300 consultants across a range of specialities, the Mater Network is a national leader for heart and cancer specialities, in addition to orthopaedic, ophthalmology, urology, women’s health, respiratory medicine and rheumatology.
“If I was to mention one key speciality area, the hospital’s Cardiology department is now the largest in Munster, which is a testament to our commitment to creating the pre-eminent cardiology service for the region. With an ever-expanding cardiology team, supported with significant investment in infrastructure and manpower, our patients benefit from rapid access for expert care by highly experienced medical professionals.”
The private hospital sector, along with Government departments, regulatory agencies, the HSE, plus academic and research partners share responsibility for shaping the future of healthcare in the region.
She said: “Mater Private Cork will work closely with those charged with supporting the implementation of Sláintecare Health Policy.
The hospital embarked on a significant change agenda over the past year, with key developments including establishing the identity and ownership of radiology diagnostic services, the opening of a new Outpatient Department, expansion and co-location of its Emergency and Urgent Cardiac Care Departments, the commissioning of an Intensive Care Unit and Accreditation in Laboratory Medicine.
“Many new consultant staff joined the hospital team and there has been significant recruitment in the wider multidisciplinary teams.” There are now over 500 directly employed staff at Mater Private Cork, a 20% increase on the previous year.
“As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, Mater Private Hospital Cork is poised to make significant strides in healthcare excellence and patient care,” she predicts. “The overall clinical strategy is to be a leading provider of complex and intermediate elective surgical inpatient and day care across key specialities, specialist medical and chronic disease ambulatory care, urgent ambulatory care through the Emergency Department.”
A key focus within the plan for 2025 is the further development and expansion of existing core specialities, coupled with the ability to treat a higher acuity patient. “We are ambitious for the future.”
At the recent Private Healthcare Awards, the Mater Network received two accolades — the Overall Excellence Award and the Best Private Hospital Award.
“While these accolades are indeed an honour, what truly makes our work fulfilling are the everyday moments — witnessing our top-class teams in action within our state-of-the-art facilities, consistently delivering outstanding care to our patients. It is this relentless focus on patient care that drives us.”
The recognition is a direct result of the hard work, expertise, and commitment of the hospital’s exceptional staff who provide superb care every single day, she says.
“Their dedication ensures that we continue to lead in healthcare excellence, and it is their efforts that make these achievements possible. Delivering for our patients remains our foremost priority, and these awards underscore our ongoing pursuit of excellence in all that we do.”
At a time when many sectors across society are presented with the constant challenge of finding and retaining quality staff, Ms Daly points to significant recruitment efforts to ensure the hospital possesses the necessary expertise to meet the growing demands of the region.
“Being part of the Mater Private Network provides our staff with opportunities to collaborate with other leading consultants and medical professionals, fostering an environment where teamwork, skill enhancement, and quality patient care are paramount.
"Our dedication to cutting-edge technology and advancements not only enhances patient care but also attracts top-tier medical experts who are eager to work in a progressive and supportive environment.”
With the challenges of winter already upon us, the Mater stands ready to cope with the expected rush for its services.
“The winter months indeed present significant challenges for our healthcare system, especially for older individuals who may require hospital care. The recent service expansions in state-of-the-art facilities and advanced technology are specifically designed to enhance our capacity to provide timely and effective care during this critical period.
"We constantly measure and listen to our patients, with high satisfaction rates and 97% of our patients saying they would use the hospital again.”
As to the most satisfying aspect of her CEO role, Sandra Daly remains focused on solidifying the Mater’s reputation in the region as a loyal and trustworthy provider of strong patient care. “I’m so fortunate that my role allows me the opportunity to oversee projects and developments that significantly enhance patient healthcare services for the people of Munster.
"My focus goes beyond professionalism and reputation, as importantly, it is emphasising and creating a healthcare environment that is value-based and patient-centric, as care is at the heart of everything we do. It is a privilege to be the CEO of the Mater Private Cork Hospital and the real reward for me personally is the life experiences I have gained.”