Û70m eight-storey ward block extension planned for UHG

Date Published: {J}

By Denise McNamara

The clinical director of hospitals in Galway and Roscommon has told of plans for a €70m ward block of single rooms with ensuites on the site of University Hospital Galway (UHG).

In the first indication of the reorganisation plan for the hospitals, Dr David O’Keeffe has also stated that Merlin Park’s capacity to do elective surgeries will be increased, particularly in relation to endoscopies. Orthopaedic elective work will also continue in Merlin Park.

He told the Irish Medical Times that construction of the new ward would take place in parallel with the development of Merlin Park day hospital facilities and would proceed as a public-private partnership.The new eight-storey ward block will be predominantly a single-room development with en-suite facilities, which would take the pressure off for income generation from designated private beds.

“It will facilitate infection control, as it will allow patients to be isolated. It will also improve the dignity of the patient’s stay in hospital,” he told the paper.

Dr O’Keeffe failed to respond to queries from the Connacht Tribune to detail the number of beds and what effect the project would have on the current budget.

However it seems many of the beds will be reserved for cancer patients.

He pointed out that when cancer services began in Galway, no extra beds were provided to service medical oncology, radiation oncology and haematology. Since then, Galway has had designation for oesophageal cancer and lung-cancer surgery, also without any additional beds.

He said it was important to ensure that there are designated beds and pre-assessment beds for cancer patients. Decisions can then be made on the appropriate place to admit patients, to spare them going through the emergency department.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.