Patients who die after 9pm at University Hospital Galway (UHG) may not get the ‘Last Rites’ because the HSE has stopped providing a 24-hours-a-day chaplaincy service at the West of Ireland’s only major acute hospital.

The Connacht Tribune has learned that some patients who died unexpectedly overnight at UHG in recent months were not given the Last Rites due to a rationalisation of the service by the HSE to comply with employment legislation.

The family of a patient who died recently at UHG without getting the Last Rites said they were “extremely upset” that their loved one was denied this ritual because they were admitted in a critical condition after 9pm, and told the chaplain was unavailable until 9am the next day.

One parish priest in County Galway, familiar with the issue, suggested there was a HSE policy of “de-prioritisation” of pastoral care at UHG.

The Bishop of Galway, Michael Duignan – through a spokesperson – said the current situation was “unsatisfactory” but the Diocese has always prioritised this important ministry, and it was committed to supporting the return of a 24-hour chaplaincy service at UHG.

A HSE spokesperson confirmed it had reduced UHG’s chaplaincy service to 12 hours per day. But they said it had developed a ‘business case’ that sets out why it needs more chaplains to restore pastoral care all day, every day at UHG.

The 24-hour-per-day chaplaincy service offered for years at UHG ceased in May 2025.

The Catholic Church had always allocated two chaplains – ordained priests – who were then employed by the HSE to provide pastoral care to patients at the city hospital.

But last May, the HSE said it changed the hours the chaplains were available to comply with employment laws.

It’s understood some staff at UHG have been told that the reduction in the chaplaincy service was due to a shortage of priests, but Church sources insisted this was untrue.

The number of chaplains has remained at two, but their hours have been contracted at 39 hours per week each in line with employment law.

The Diocese and HSE have engaged on this issue on several occasions before and after the change was implemented last May.

Caption: UHG…cuts to chaplaincy hours overnight.

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