Plans for a new elective hospital at Merlin Park are proceeding, the HSE has confirmed, despite reports earlier this week that they had been abandoned.
Galway West TD John Connolly raised the matter in the Dáil yesterday in an exchange with Minister of State Mary Butler.
Deputy Connolly said that information provided by the HSE indicated that the facility plans had been downgraded, and could instead be something that would be “expanding or bolting-on” to the surgical hub under construction at Merlin Park.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon the HSE said that the plan “remains on track” for a new elective hospital on the Merlin Park campus.
“The HSE’s appointed design team are progressing with the design for the Elective Hospital in Galway, and with the aim of lodging a planning application later this year.”
The HSE apologised to Deputy Connolly, stating that the information which had been provided to him “did not provide an accurate picture of the development”.
The goal of the new hospital will be to “provide capacity to meet ambulatory (day care) demand” for procedures for which there is a high volume.
Crucially, the HSE has also said that there are no beds included in the plans for phase 1 of the elective hospital.
Additional bed capacity will instead be delivered by the planned two new blocks on the campus of University Hospital Galway, which will deliver 300 new beds when completed.
The surgical hub at Merlin Park, which is currently at an advanced stage of construction and is due to become operational on a phased basis later this year, providing four operating theatres and two minor-op procedure rooms when fully commissioned.
