CUH Cystic Fibrosis ward to finally open next weekend

A 20-bed adult respiratory ward at Cork University Hospital (CUH) containing isolation facilities vital to the health of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, is finally set to open next weekend, several months behind schedule.

The €2.3m ward, paid for by Munster-based charity Build4Life, has been more than five years in the pipeline and should have opened last March, according to the original project timeline.

However the hospital repeatedly blamed staffing shortages for its failure to open the ward, which is fully equipped.