Private hospital plan falls through

PLANS for a €30m private hospital for Limerick city will not go ahead after it was revealed yesterday that the Bon Secours Health System and BUPA Healthcare Ireland Ltd have withdrawn from the project.

The announcement, made by the Mid-Western Health Board, was greeted with bitter disappointment by the board members.

Health board assistant chief executive officer John O'Brien said the Bons Secours and BUPA had been negotiating with the health board to build the hospital on a seven-and-a-half acre site in the grounds of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital at Dooradoyle the main acute hospital in the midwest region.