Building another hospital to tackle overcrowding in the Mid-West 'on the table', says minister

The minister made the comments at the habitually overcrowded University Hospital, where she officially opened a €105m, 6,700, 96-bed block on Monday

Minister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill acknowledged that a '20-year vision is not going to be enough' and additional capacity plan strategies would be required. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins photos

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill says she has not ruled out sanctioning the construction of an additional hospital, or, in fact, re-opening former hospital emergency departments, in order to increase bed capacity in the Mid-West region.

The minister told reporters at the habitually overcrowded University Hospital (UHL), where she officially opened a €105m, 6,700, 96-bed block, that “all of the options are on the table”.