Cork hospitals set to benefit from €92m investment

Cork hospitals will benefit from €92.4m in capital investment in the coming five years, say the HSE.

The figure was quoted at a meeting of the Regional Health Forum South, in County Hall, in Cork City, and is for 13 major projects in Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Mallow General, and Bantry General.

Projects range from the provision of a new €29.2m radiology department at CUH to an €11.5m regional department of gastroenterology at the Mercy.

Ger O’Callaghan, chief operating officer of the South/South West Hospital Group, said that capital works at the St Joseph’s continuing care accommodation, in Bantry General Hospital (to ensure Hiqa compliance), are expected to be completed by the end of December. He also said that refurbishment of the vacant emergency department at Mallow General Hospital, to accommodate a local injury clinic, should be completed by year end.

Meanwhile, plans to relocate the opthalmology outpatient department from Cork University Hospital to the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) are under way, with planning permission granted for the €4m project. It will be put out to tender in the coming weeks.

As regards the building of another major acute hospital in Cork, officials said the project is at the early stages and no agreement has been made on a location or funding model. Proposals have been put on the table and they are being looked at, and do not impact on the capital developments budget.

The development of the long-awaited CUH helipad, projected to cost €1.8m, is under way, with a design team appointed to select the most appropriate site on the hospital campus.

Bishopstown-based councillor, Mary Shields, raised concerns that the project may not be completed in the timeframe, saying: “I have been putting down motions about this since 2006, when the helipad that we had was then built upon. Sorry for being a small bit sceptical, but when I see that the design team has been appointed, I was told that years ago. I wonder why we have not progressed beyond design team, at this stage, and will that funding figure provide for an operational helipad at Cork University Hospital and when can we expect it will be done?”

Mr O’Callaghan said that the money has been made available, and he expects it to be completed by the end of 2017: “Discussions, at the moment, are on where the helipad is going to be located. There are a lot of opinions. Some people felt it should be on the roof of the A&E department, some people felt it should be in the carpark, so experts have been brought in, now, to review that and see exactly where it is going to go”.