Cork and Galway hospital plans progress with publication of tenders

The HSE-owned St Stephen's Hospital campus at Sarsfield Court near Glanmire was confirmed as the location for the new Cork hospital in February 2022. File picture: Denis Scannell

Plans to build new elective hospitals in Cork and Galway have finally taken a big step forward following the publication of tenders for design and cost control teams.

However, it could still be two years before construction starts.

The HSE confirmed on Thursday that it has invited tender submissions for an architect-led design team and for a project control team, for both projects whose preferred sites were announced in December 2022.

The architect team will provide architectural, design and engineering services while the project control team will support the HSE in the management, control and administration of the design and construction programme.

The initial tender enquiry period is for 30 days at which point whatever tenders are received will be assessed and evaluated. Subject to successful procurement and various internal HSE approval process, it is hoped that both teams could be appointed and in place by the third quarter of this year.

But the design phase could take up to a year before planning approval is sought, which means it could still be at least two years before construction starts.

Junior Health Minister Colm Burke, in whose constituency the new Cork hospital will be built, and who previously criticised the HSE over the delivery timeline, welcomed the tenders but said the hospitals need to be delivered as quickly as possible.

“These projects need to be expedited because we have a growing and ageing population,” he said.

Junior Health Minister Colm Burke said the hospitals need to be delivered as quickly as possible. File picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

First reported by the Irish Examiner in February 2022, the HSE-owned St Stephen's Hospital campus at Sarsfield Court near Glanmire was confirmed as the location for the new Cork hospital, with Merlin Park selected for the Galway facility.

When the sites were announced, it was planned that the Cork hospital would provide 180,000 extra procedures, treatments and diagnostic appointments per year in its nine planned theatres, seven endoscopy suites and nine minor operation rooms.

The Galway centre with a planned eight operating theatres, seven endoscopy suites and nine minor operation rooms was forecast to provide 175,000 additional procedures, treatments and diagnostic appointments per year.

But the HSE said since the original preliminary business cases for the hospitals were approved, a number of changes have been made to the proposed accommodation which has resulted in an increase in the size of both facilities.

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The increase in space is linked to the requirement for clinical support services such as radiology, pharmacy and out patient departments.

The elective hospitals will focus on providing day cases, endoscopy, minor operations, outpatient treatment and outpatient diagnostics services, with surgeons performing high-volume procedures like cataracts, gallstone, hernia and tonsil surgery.

Each hospital will function 12 hours a day, which includes eight hours of operating time on a six-day per week, 50 weeks per year schedule, with 10 specialties encompassing 497 various day procedures for suitable adult patients.

The activity has been projected out to 2045 using the 2016 census and Central Statistics Office (CSO) population projections. It is hoped that by separating emergency and unscheduled care from elective or scheduled, it will ease pressure on the existing hospitals and cut waiting lists.