Declan McNamara appointed as Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, UL Hospitals Group

14.04.2023 | UL Hospitals Group is pleased to announce the appointment of native Limerickman, Declan McNamara, as its new Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery.

Succeeding Margaret Gleeson, who retired in 2022, Mr McNamara brings to the chief nursing role the experience of several years of senior nurse management in the Group over the past two decades.

Mr McNamara said: “I’m delighted to be appointed as Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery for UL Hospitals Group. In this role, I will be focused on standards, attaining excellence for the patient journey in our hospitals through the continued development of our workforce, and harnessing leadership and innovation through smart digital transformation. The future for healthcare is about crossing the boundaries between acute hospital and community care, and about developing healthcare that’s truly integrated.”

Declan joined UL Hospitals Group in 2002, first working as a staff nurse in UHL before moving to Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in 2004. He had trained in London and spent the previous 12 years working in the UK, specialising in Trauma Orthopaedics, in which he completed postgraduate training at Stanmore Orthopaedic NHS Hospital.

Declan has held a number of senior nursing management positions in UL Hospitals Group, most recently as Director of Nursing in the Directorate of Perioperative Medicine. Among the most notable healthcare projects he has led was the opening of the new Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick in 2017.

The holder of a Diploma in Management from the Institute of Healthcare Management UK and an MSc in Healthcare Management with the RCSI, Mr McNamara is currently undertaking a PhD in Professional Healthcare Practice at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, said: “I’m delighted to appoint such a skilled professional as Declan to my Executive Management team. Declan will bring a wealth of experience to bear on his efforts to further develop the Group’s nursing and midwifery workforce as expert practitioners, positioned at the forefront of patient advocacy and care.”

Declan and his family live in Ballina, Killaloe, County Tipperary. Outside of work, his main passions are physical fitness and sport. He is a keen runner and footballer, and currently coaches the Lough Derg junior football team.