Merger of two hospitals may be prescribed for Cork

TALKS between two of Cork’s biggest hospitals could result in a blueprint for a new city hospital within months, it has emerged.

The boards of both the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital and the Mercy Hospital have met in recent weeks to discuss the future of both facilities. The talks have the backing of the Health Service Executive.

It is understood that the boards of both hospitals, which have separate development plans, have agreed in principle that a merger would be beneficial.

A strategy for that merger and for the development of a new bigger hospital with better and more streamlined services could be ready within months.

The new hospital would be developed by a private developer who would in turn be free to develop each of the hospitals’ prime city centre sites.

A number of sites have been considered for the new facility.

The boards have looked at a site in Blarney, at Sarsfields Court and at the orthopaedic hospital site on the city’s northside. However, that site was ruled out because it was too small.

The Blarney site appears to be the favoured option.

Sighting two major general hospitals in Cork was first mooted in the 1967 Fitzgerald Report.

Cork University Hospital was built but a second hospital never materialised.

Fine Gael Cllr Colm Burke said he favoured the construction of a new hospital on the northside of the city and close to a rail line to facilitate staff and patients.

The South Infirmary Victoria Hospital on the Old Blackrock Road is a teaching hospital for Cork University Hospital.

It caters for both public and private patients, has a total capacity of 255 beds and is the third largest acute service provider in the Cork area.

It operates the second largest accident and emergency department, dealing with about 30,000 patients a year.

The Mercy Hospital on Greenville Place was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1857 and is Cork’s second largest hospital.

The voluntary hospital provides both public and private healthcare.

It is a 354-bed acute general hospital providing in-patient, day-patient, out-patient and accident and emergency services. It employs up to 1,000 people.

It also has strong links with University College Cork.