Consultants line up in bid to stall CUH plan

SENIOR medics and management at two leading acute hospitals have united in their opposition to proposals for a new private co-located hospital at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Consultants at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) and the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) claim the €250 million Beacon Medical Group (BMG) co-location project does not offer the best model of care.

This is the first time since BMG was awarded the contract that clinicians have publicly questioned whether it is in the best interest of patients. Previous criticisms of the project by members of the public and Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin relate mainly to additional traffic volumes they expect the new hospital to generate.