Nenagh Hospital has earned national recognition after a major eye care access improvement project helped more patients receive timely treatment through the Health Service Executive (HSE) ophthalmology outpatient service. The award-winning initiative, highlighted in a recent HSE update on gov.ie-linked public service news, improved clinic efficiency, reduced cancellations, and expanded access to critical sight-saving care without adding extra staff.
Published as a healthcare success story from the Irish public sector, the project received a Bright Spark clinical innovation award at the HSE Spark Summit. The honour reflects how frontline hospital teams can redesign services to improve patient outcomes while supporting wider Health and Public Expenditure priorities across Ireland.
Eye care access improvements at Nenagh Hospital
The Ophthalmology OPD Transformation Project at Nenagh Hospital focused on practical service redesign. Led by Adebusola Owokole, the team reviewed workflows, booking systems, patient pathways, and clinical processes to make better use of available resources.
The results from 2025 were significant:
- 60.7% fewer cancelled appointments compared with the previous year
- 17.2% increase in clinic throughput
- 46.6% improvement in access to time-sensitive treatments
- Overall attendances rose from 4,257 to 4,375 patients
These gains were achieved despite higher activity levels and with no increase in staffing, making the project a notable example of operational improvement within the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Why the changes matter for patients
For patients, better eye care access means fewer delays, more predictable appointments, and reduced disruption to ongoing treatment. This is especially important in ophthalmology, where time-sensitive interventions can help prevent irreversible sight loss.
The hospital also recorded a sharp rise in intravitreal therapy activity. These injections are used to treat serious retinal conditions such as macular degeneration. Procedures increased from 521 in 2024 to 764 in 2025, while day clinic attendance also rose by more than 17%.
Because these treatments are highly time-critical, improved scheduling and smoother clinic flow can directly affect quality of life for patients across Tipperary and the wider region.
How service redesign delivered better eye care access
The transformation project targeted several stages of the outpatient journey, including doctor reviews, imaging, nursing procedures, and pre-operative assessments. Detailed audits found shorter waiting times and less variation across these processes.
In practical terms, that meant:
- Patient bottlenecks were reduced
- Appointments were managed more reliably
- Specialist capacity was used more efficiently
- More patients could be treated within existing resources
This type of innovation aligns with wider public sector improvement goals seen across agencies such as the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), National Transport Authority (NTA), Department of the Taoiseach, and other Irish State bodies focused on service delivery, accountability, and better outcomes for citizens.
Part of a broader specialist eye care expansion
The award also underlines Nenagh Hospital’s growing role as a regional ophthalmology centre. The hospital has provided cataract surgery since 2018 and has offered intravitreal therapy injections and expanded outpatient services since 2023. Preparations are now advancing for dedicated glaucoma clinics, which will add to the advanced laser services already available onsite.
This continued expansion supports long-term goals in Health, Social Protection, Education, and Local Government and Heritage by improving access to essential medical care closer to home.
What this award means for Irish healthcare
The Nenagh Hospital project shows how targeted innovation can strengthen eye care access across Ireland. By redesigning existing systems instead of relying on additional staffing, the team improved efficiency and patient experience at the same time. For hospitals, policymakers, and the Health Service Executive (HSE), it is a strong example of how data-led improvement can produce measurable results.
The key takeaway is clear: better eye care access is possible when frontline teams are empowered to rethink patient pathways and deliver services around real clinical need.
Article/Image Courtesy: HSE
