Minister Hildegarde Naughton has received confirmation from the HSE that they should be in a position to apply for planning permission for the new Elective Hospital on the grounds of Merlin Park Hospital in the first half of next year.
“I am delighted to have received confirmation that planning for this vital project will be lodged in the first half of next year. It is something I have worked on since I was first elected to Dáil Eireann, as it is vital for the future healthcare needs of my constituents,” Minister Naughton said.
The new Elective Hospital will provide capacity for high-volume, low-acuity surgical cases from public waiting lists and take much pressure off University Hospital Galway. The new facility will cover procedures including Gastrointestinal, Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, and Orthopaedic treatments.
“I am also informed that the detailed design for Merlin Park is also considering how best to maximise the incorporation of the Interim Surgical Hub, currently at an advanced construction phase in Merlin Park. The Interim Surgical Hub, a temporary measure to ensure elective surgery until such time as the new permanent Elective Hospital is built, is due to open in the first half of next year,” Minister Naughton explained.
“On her recent visit to Galway to view the site, I emphasised to the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill, the urgency of this project, and I was very pleased to have received her strong support on that occasion, and I am delighted to see this project now progressing,” the Minister commented.
“The UHG site is simply not able to cater for the volume of surgical patients it is expected to see. The staff in University Hospital Galway provide an amazing service and are hugely dedicated professionals; however, the issue is access.
“We have for too long been trying to provide too many services from the one restricted campus on Newcastle Road. I have been fighting to separate elective and urgent care within our system in Galway since I was first elected to the Dáil in 2016, and while this news is positive, I will not rest until our Elective Hospital welcomes its first patients,” she said.
