Next phase for St Patrick’s Hospital

CONSTRUCTION is to commence in the next few weeks on a new €50 million hospice and hospital in Cork.

The completion period for St Patrick’s Hospital — which incorporates St Patrick’s Hospital and Marymount Hospice — is 20 months and it is expected to be operational by July 2011.

The new development at Ballinaspig More will be one of the largest hospices in the country. The contract signed with BAM Contractors Ltd will see the replacement of existing facilities at Wellington Road.

The project will deliver a 44-bed hospice providing specialist palliative care. It will include an in-patient unit, a base for community services, a day-care unit and an education centre.

The project will also incorporate a 75-bed hospital for the care of older people and respite care services.

Chief executive of St Patrick’s Hospital, Kevin O’Dwyer said: “I feel the project would significantly enhance the patient experience for those availing of the hospital’s services.”

The full cost of the project is estimated at €52m.

The HSE is to provide €14m and Atlantic Philanthropies is contributing a further €10m. The balance of the funding will come from the sale of the Wellington Road property and local fundraising.

The hospital itself needs to raise €3m yearly in 2009 and 2010 to meet its commitment to the project.