The HSE has issued a ‘request for tender’ for Phase 1 of the new elective hospitals in Cork and Galway.
Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly said the tender was for an Architect-led Design Team to provide architectural, design and engineering services and for a Project Control Team to support the HSE to manage, control and administer the design/construction programme. The HSE intended that the teams would be in place in the summer.
The selected sites for the developments are at St Stephen’s Hospital, Sarsfield Court in Cork, and Merlin Park in Galway.
The new Elective Hospitals will be separate from existing hospitals and only carry out planned elective surgery, procedures and treatments. The Department of Health said this separation of elective from emergency and critical care would lead to fewer cancellations and delays for elective care caused by seasonal surges, localised outbreaks, and surges in emergency attendances. This increase in capacity would be key to tackling waiting lists and reducing waiting times for public patients.
“Plans for an elective hospital in Dublin are also well advanced, and the Minister will shortly bring a Memorandum to Government providing an update on the site and progress to date.”
As part of the wider Elective Care Programme and in advance of the delivery of Elective Hospitals, the HSE is currently developing six new Surgical Hubs at sites across the country. Two Surgical Hubs in Dublin (Swords and Mt Carmel) are due to become operational this year, with those in Limerick, Waterford, Cork and Galway becoming operational in 2025. These are modelled on the successful Reeves Day Surgery Unit at Tallaght which has significantly reduced waiting times for a number of elective procedures.
Elective-only hospitals cater for high-volume, relatively low-acuity cases. The Elective Hospitals will be focused on providing Day case, GI Endoscopy, minor operations, outpatient treatment and outpatient diagnostics services.
The demand model underpinning the schedule of accommodation required to support Phase I of the Elective Hospitals Programme for Cork and Galway is based on:
- Ten specialties encompassing 497 day procedures for suitable adult patients as deemed clinically appropriate for treatment in the facility.
- A 12 hour working day which includes eight hours of operating time on a six days per week, 50 weeks per year schedule.
