Keena to head up new Dublin and midlands health forum
Westmeath county councillor Frankie Keena has been appointed chair of the newly-established Dublin and Midlands health forum, with Longford councillor Peggy Nolan chosen as vice-chair.
The two were elected unopposed at the forum’s inaugural meeting on Tuesday last, September 8 in Tullamore, a gathering described as a landmark moment in shaping the future of healthcare delivery in the region.
The meeting was opened by Kate Killeen-White, Regional Executive Officer, who stressed the importance of the occasion in “setting the tone correct from the get-go”. She said the forum would play a vital role in ensuring accountability and transparency as the health service moves into a new era of regional governance under the Sláintecare reforms
The Dublin and Midlands Health Region is one of six new health regions created in March 2024. It brings together what were previously separate hospital groups and community health organisations into a single integrated system.
Covering a population of almost 1.1 million and employing around 30,000 staff, the region is among the largest in the country. It stretches from South Dublin through Kildare and Wicklow to the four Midland counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath.
The region incorporates some of the country’s biggest and most specialised hospitals – including St James’s, Tallaght, the Coombe and Children’s Health Ireland – while also encompassing the Midlands regional hospitals in Mullingar, Tullamore and Portlaoise. Alongside these acute services, it includes a vast network of community health supports such as primary care, disability, older persons, mental health, and public health programmes.
“The objective,” Ms Killeen-White explained, “is to integrate hospital and community care, strengthen governance, and make sure services are planned around the needs of local populations. Crucially, it is also about tackling health inequalities.”
Midlands in the spotlight
In a brief presentation on the Midlands integrated health area (IHA), which spans Westmeath, Longford, Offaly and Laois, acting midlands IHA manager Joseph Campbell provided councillors with a detailed overview of the area’s scale and challenges.
With a population of 380,000, it is the second largest IHA in the region but, geographically, the biggest. Campbell said this wide spread created “real pressures in terms of reaching people and ensuring services are accessible.”
He highlighted areas of deprivation around Athlone and Mullingar, both identified as priority zones for tackling health inequality. “Those are the key areas we are focusing on,” he told councillors.
The forum heard that over the past 18 months, the new health regions have been establishing governance structures and leadership teams. In the Dublin and Midlands region, posts are already in place for finance, workforce, public health, communications, nursing, midwifery and clinical operations.
The new health forum is intended to act as the link between elected representatives and health service managers, ensuring that local issues and community perspectives influence decision-making. With Cllr Keena now chairing the forum, Westmeath has secured a leading role in this process.
Mr Campbell concluded by emphasising that the Midlands’ needs would be clearly represented. “This is about making sure that decisions are made closer to where people live, and that the Midlands voice is strong within the new health region,” he said.