Level of secrecy on progress of Cork's new elective hospital 'deeply worrying'

“The St Stephen’s Hospital Site would be an ideal location for this hospital. The space exists and there would be no need for a full acquisition process as this is already HSE owned,” Cork North Central TD, Thomas Gould, said. Photo: Andy Gibson.

Questions have been raised this week over progress made to develop new elective hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, expressed disappointment at the lack of transparency over plans to build a new elective hospital in Cork, while Fine Gael senator Sean Kyne also raised questions over plans for a similar facility in Galway on Monday.

The new elective hospitals are being built to carry out high volume, low complexity procedures on a day and outpatient basis and are expected to take pressure off acute hospitals and reduce patient waiting lists.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly informed Mr Gould, in response to a parliamentary question, that site identification was still underway but that it is intended for the new Cork facility to be operational by the end of 2025.

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“The level of secrecy and lack of transparency on the progress of the ambulatory elective hospital in Cork is deeply worrying. I have been trying to get clear information on this for months now but the Minister is keeping the plans very close to his chest,” Mr Gould said.

"The elective hospital, announced under the National Development Plan in 2018 for Cork, was very welcome news. 

"However, it is concerning that they haven’t even chosen the location for this hospital particularly given the plan to open the hospital by 2025,” he added.

He urged the Government to take an active role in choosing a site for the new hospital “as soon as possible” and also to consider locating it on the northside of the city where there are currently no hospital facilities.

It is not good enough that the site will only be chosen in the near future. It is clear that the people of the northside need this facility. 

"This is an opportunity for the Government to send a clear message that the healthcare of the people of the northside of Cork city and surrounding areas matters,” he said.

“The St Stephen’s Hospital Site would be an ideal location for this hospital. The space exists and there would be no need for a full acquisition process as this is already HSE owned,” he added.

Fine Gael senator Sean Kyne also raised concerns over progress being made to develop a new elective hospital in Galway, previously mooted for Merlin Park.

“There is absolute confusion in Galway at the moment in terms of what Saolta, the Department of Health, the Sláintecare team and, dare I say, the Government have in mind in regard to the competing demands of Merlin Park and UHG,” Mr Kyne said.

“We have talk but no concrete plans in respect of Merlin Park. We are at sixes and sevens and are falling between two stools,” he added.

Minister For Health Stephen Donnelly informed Mr Gould that site identification was still underway the new Cork facility. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Minister of state at the Department of Health, Frank Feighan, told the Seanad on Monday that work will begin to identify sites for the new hospitals in the “near future”.

“Work is ongoing on a draft preliminary business case, which will recommend a single site option in each of Galway, Cork and Dublin. 

"A site identification exercise to identify possible suitable sites in the three locations will begin in the near future,” Mr Feighan said.

“Once a preferred option in each location has been identified, the draft preliminary business case can be concluded. I hope that it can be submitted to the Government before the summer,” he added.