Pressure group wants action on University Hospital Galway masterplan
A coalition with broad community support is ramping up pressure on politicians to speed up plans to modernise University Hospital Galway (UHG) – to avoid it becoming another ‘ring road’ held-up in the planning system.
The campaign – UHG Infrastructure Crisis – calls for urgent action to modernise the city hospital, and address longstanding infrastructural deficits that continue to impact staff and patients in the West and North West region.
A masterplan for a major redevelopment of UHG, to include a new Emergency Department, already exists but the campaign group wants it to be fast-tracked.
The group has called for the planned redevelopment to be designated as a ‘Critical Infrastructure Project’, which would bypass the regular planning application process.
They said if this happened, construction work could commence as early as 2027 – if the political will was there to ensure that happens.
This UHG campaign is supported by a range of community, healthcare, sporting and farming organisations including Cancer Care West, Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, National Breast Cancer Research Institute Ireland, Connacht IFA and Connacht GAA.
They said this broad backing across the region ‘reflects growing concern over conditions facing patients and staff’ at UHG.
“Solutions have been identified and a major redevelopment masterplan for University Hospital Galway already exists. What is missing is pace and urgency,” said Ray O’Connor, a spokesperson for the group.
“We are calling on public representatives to unite behind the masterplan and progress it without further delay. This happened in other regions such as Limerick when critical infrastructure projects needed decisive backing. We cannot allow this vital hospital redevelopment to become another drawn-out saga like the Galway Ring Road,” he said.
We are calling on public representatives to unite behind the masterplan and progress it without further delay
Campaigners want the UHG development to be designated as a ‘Critical Infrastructure Project’ under the Government’s ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, to fast-track the planning process and delivery of the modernised UHG.
“This would support efficient and appropriately scaled planning; enable timely delivery of essential public healthcare infrastructure; ensure the regions have a modern, resilient and future-proof Model 4 hospital; and deliver the facilities that staff and patients urgently deserve,” said Mr O’Connor.
In 2022, a campaign spearheaded by UHG cancer specialists, Professor Michael Kerins, highlighted the ongoing infrastructure deficits at the hospital serving a population of 850,000.
This latest campaign stems from concerns of campaigners that there has been no visible progress to implement the UHG masterplan. They are reigniting the campaign ahead of the Galway West bye-election in May.
They want the project to be fast-tracked as Critical Infrastructure, and it would go direct to An Coimisúin Pleanála, which could make a determination within 18 weeks.
Plans to make Merlin Park a dedicated elective care centre for planned and day services are progressing and the coalition said this makes it even more important that acute infrastructure at UHG is modernised and expanded to safely meet rising demand for emergency care.
They claimed that, as emergency demand continues to rise, outdated wards, limited bed capacity and constrained clinical space at UHG risk undermining timely access to care.