Mater seeks to develop private hospitals on HSE sites

The Mater Private Hospital is seeking to develop four new private facilities on the grounds of existing public hospitals in Dublin, Galway and Limerick.

The hospital confirmed today that it had submitted proposals to the Health Service Executive for the development of the private facilities at Beaumont in Dublin, University College Hospital in Galway and the Regional Hospital and Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.

The Mater Private has been located alongside the Mater Public Hospital for 20 years and says its track record and experience makes it an ideal model to replicate throughout the country.

It says it is submitting its proposals in response to a HSE initiative to encourage more synergy between the public and private sectors.

The Irish Nurses Organisation and the Irish Medical Organisation have both expressed concerns about the ramifications of the initiative, saying commercially-driven healthcare is not the way to go.