Radiographer, Clinical Specialist, University Hospital

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is the largest acute hospital in the country. The hospital is a primary teaching hospital with close alliances to University College Cork (UCC), nursing, medical and allied health professional training. The hospital also plays a central role in the management of co-located services on site.

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is the largest university teaching hospital in Ireland and the only Level 1 Trauma centre in the country – an accreditation given with the presence of 40 different medical and surgical specialties delivered by the hospital – including Neurosciences, Cardiac Services, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Renal, Internal Medicine, Vascular, Ophthalmology, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Maxillary-Facial, Paediatrics, Critical Care, Cancer Services, and Emergency Medicine.

CUH is the tertiary referral centre for the HSE Southern area, and the supra regional area of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny. CUH therefore acts as a regional centre for secondary and tertiary care for the catchment population of 550,000 served by the HSE Southern area and a supra-regional centre for a total a population of 1.1 million.

CUH now has 800 beds following completion of the transfer of Cardiac and Renal services to the recently constructed Cardiac Renal Centre. The hospital currently employs 3,400 staff of multiple professions and is the primary teaching hospital for the Faculty of Health and Science in University College Cork.

The Division of Radiology provides comprehensive, high-quality imaging services and image guided procedures on a 24/7 basis. Imaging in the following sub-specialities is provided by the Radiology Department at CUH: CT, Vascular, Paediatric, Interventional, Screening, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, Breast Imaging, Neuroradiology, Cath Lab, Chest, Abdominal, Musculoskeletal Imaging and Oncology Imaging.

The team structure comprises:

· Clinical Lead, Radiology – Consultant Radiologist

· Radiography Service Manager 3

· Radiography Service Manager 1

· Clinical Specialist Radiographer/Superintendant Radiographer

· Senior Radiographer

· Basic Grade Radiographer

Reconfiguration of Services Cork & Kerry

The Reconfiguration roadmap was published on the 22nd November 2011. It outlines a plan of how, why and where we deliver our acute hospital services. The roadmap provides for the first time in this region, a plan that has been agreed between all six acute hospitals on how services should be re-organised in order to ensure the best possible healthcare system for people in Cork and Kerry.

Care is delivered in a variety of settings and new approaches and models of care to follow the care demands of the health service, are being advanced within the context of overall healthcare reform, to include Sláintecare.

Health Regions

Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE, on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and they will be operational from 2024.

Each Health Region will be tasked with population specific planning resourcing and delivery of health and social care services for the needs of its unique population. This will result in improved accountability and governance in terms of finance and performance, while also bringing decision-making closer to the frontline.

Health Regions will enable and empower staff to provide services that are:

• Integrated, locally planned and delivered

• Easier to access and navigate

• Available closer to home

Health Regions are geographically based units with clearly defined populations. They align community and hospital services within specific areas. The HSE will retain a strong but leaner central organisation, with more service provision developed at a local level.

The HSE South West health region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in Cork and Kerry. HSE South West includes all hospital and community healthcare services in the region.

This includes:

South / South West Hospital Group S/SWHG

• Cork Kerry Community Healthcare CKCH

• Midlands Louth Meath Community Health Organisation

• Community Healthcare Organisation Dublin North City and County

The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region

Services in the South West health region:

HSE Services working within this region include:

• Acute Hospitals

• Primary care services

• Community services

• Social care services

• Health and social care professionals

• Voluntary sector services

South / South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare will become part of HSE South West health region from 3rd March 2025 and the transition to the new structures will be taking place throughout 2025