Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE, on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and are operational since 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:
1. Integrated, locally planned and delivered
2. Easier to access and navigate
3. 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
The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region.
Services in the South West health 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 became part of HSE South West Health Region on 3rd March, 2025.
University Hospital Kerry is the second largest of the Health Service Executive –South/South West seven acute hospitals.
With a catchment area of Kerry, North Cork & West Limerick, it services a population of approximately 180,554. In addition, the Kerry area has quite a large visiting population – Bord Fáilte/ Shannon Development estimate there are approximately 2 million tourists visiting this region annually, principally during the summer months.
The 24/7 Emergency department cares for 36,000 emergency presentations. The average annual activity levels include approximately 13,000 inpatient discharges, 11,000 day case presentations, and 54,000 outpatient attendances.
The hospital has 275 acute general beds, 50 acute psychiatric beds, and an annual budget of approximately 70 million.
University Hospital Kerry has a directorate management structure and is educationally affiliated with Institute of Technology Tralee and University College Cork.
University Hospital Kerry’s range and scope of services provided:
* Emergency Medicine
* Ear, Nose and Throat Services
* General Medicine including Medicine of the Elderly & Endocrinology
* General Surgery
* Endoscopy
* Adult Intensive Care
* Oncology
* Orthopaedics
* Paediatrics
* Audiology
* Palliative Care
* Psychiatry
* Radiography, including C.T. Scanning Service
* Renal Dialysis Satellite Unit
Purpose of Post: The delivery of effective, quality-assured and patient-centered nursing care.
Informal Enquiries:
Name: Joanne Evans, CNM3 Nursing HR, University Hospital Kerry.
Email: Joanne.evans@hse.ie Tel: 066 7178654
Name: Helena Behan, ADON Internationally Recruited Nurses/ New Starters/Safe Staffing
Email: helena.behan@hse.ie Tel: 066 7178673
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