Monaghan Hospital Activity Soars as Cavan Monaghan Integration Delivers for Patients

Monaghan Hospital is treating more patients than at any point in recent years, with new figures showing sharp increases in diagnostic and inpatient services, alongside a major reduction in children's waiting times. The figures underline the close working relationship between Monaghan Hospital and Cavan General Hospital, with the two sites increasingly operating as one integrated service for the people of Cavan and Monaghan.

Attendances at Monaghan Hospital's Minor Injury Unit have nearly tripled in under a decade, rising from 5,372 in 2018 to 14,278 in 2025, with over 7,600 presentations already recorded in 2026 alone. Diagnostic imaging activity has also grown strongly, with approximately 34,000 X-ray, ultrasound and DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) procedures carried out at the hospital in each of the last two years, up from 28,226 in 2023. Inpatient ward activity has risen by a quarter over the same period, from 711 episodes in 2023 to 892 in 2025, reflecting a hospital that is busier and more central to healthcare delivery in the region than ever before.

Nowhere is the benefit of closer integration between Cavan and Monaghan more evident than in children's services. Through the Cavan Monaghan Integrated Health Area, the longest waiting time for children aged 4 to 17 years for an initial audiology assessment has been cut dramatically, from 71 weeks in September 2025 to just 4 to 6 weeks by April 2026. Plans are now in place for a similar initiative for younger children awaiting Visual Reinforcement Audiology assessment. This has been possible through Community and Monaghan Hospital Audiology staff working together. It involves shared resources and training, cross-service collaboration, shared waiting list management, and optimised workforce utilisation.

This period of growth and investment has been underpinned by significant capital funding, with over €4 million invested in infrastructure and facilities at Monaghan Hospital over the past three years. This surge in activity has placed increasing pressure on parking that had served the hospital adequately for many years, prompting the need for additional dedicated capacity. The latest phase of this investment was completed this week with the opening of a new staff car park on the site of the hospital's former ambulance station and gate lodge. By freeing up dedicated parking for staff, the project increases the number of spaces available closer to the hospital for patients attending its growing number of clinics and services, including recently reintroduced maternity care. The project also delivered a new public footpath improving pedestrian access around the hospital, along with biodiversity-friendly landscaping across the site.

Taken together, the figures point to a hospital experiencing sustained growth in activity and investment, with integration between Cavan and Monaghan delivering measurable improvements for patients across both counties.

Laura Waters, General Manager, Cavan Monaghan Hospitals, said: "These figures tell a really positive story about what's happening at Monaghan Hospital. We're seeing record levels of activity and real, measurable improvements for patients and families, particularly in children's services. Closer working between Cavan and Monaghan is delivering tangible results, and the investment we're putting into our facilities, including this new car park, is about keeping pace with that growth and continuing to improve access for the people who rely on these services."

Dervila Eyres, Manager, Cavan Monaghan Integrated Health Area, said: "What these figures really show is what integration looks like when it works well for patients. By planning services across Cavan and Monaghan as one system rather than in isolation, we've been able to respond faster to where demand is greatest, as we've seen with the dramatic reduction in children's audiology waiting times. That same approach is guiding how we invest in our hospital infrastructure and staffing. This is the direction of travel for Cavan and Monaghan, and we expect to see further improvements for patients as this integrated way of working continues to mature."

ENDS

About HSE Dublin and North East

HSE Dublin and North East provides acute and community healthcare services to a population of more than one million people across Dublin North, Dublin North Central, Dublin North West, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. This includes major acute hospitals, community healthcare services and specialist care providers, working collaboratively with patients, families, staff and partners to improve health outcomes and support healthier communities.

Stiofáin MacDáibhéad, Head of Communications and Public Affairs
stiofain.macdaibhead@hse.ie
087 2377467