Portiuncula reopens its refurbished surgical ward
Portiuncula University Hospital has officially reopened the newly refurbished St John’s Surgical Ward, a 29-bed unit designed to enhance the quality of care for surgical patients.
The upgraded ward comprises seven single rooms, two semi-private rooms and four multi-bed rooms.
As the hospital’s only acute surgical inpatient ward, St John’s Surgical Ward is located on the first floor alongside key surgical services, including the operating theatres, Endoscopy Unit, Surgical Day Care and the Critical Care Unit.
This close proximity supports a more integrated and efficient pathway for surgical patients.
The refurbishment includes state-of-the-art facilities to support high-quality clinical care.
Each bed space is equipped with the digital Irish National Early Warning System (INEWS), enabling healthcare teams to monitor patients effectively while providing direct access to diagnostic services such as laboratory and radiology results.
This refurbishment will provide much better accommodation for surgical patients while also helping staff deliver higher-quality care,
Hospital Manager James Keane said the redevelopment marks a major step forward in improving both the patient environment and the delivery of clinical care.
“This refurbishment will provide much better accommodation for surgical patients while also helping staff deliver higher-quality care,” he said.
“The project highlights the hospital’s ongoing commitment to strengthening surgical services at Portiuncula University Hospital and supports the objectives of the HSE Service Plan, including efforts to reduce waiting lists,” he added.
Saolta desbribed the reopening of St John’s Surgical Ward as marking an important step in the hospital’s ongoing investment in modern facilities and patient-centred care.
But separately this week, the latest hospital trolley watch figures, collated by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation on Monday, showed ten patients on trolleys in Portiuncula’s Emergency Department and seven others waiting elsewhere on a trolley in a ward, for a combined total of 17.
In contrast, University Hospital Galway had 29 patients on ED trolleys and a further 13 waiting on trolleys elsewhere – bringing its total to 42.