Minister for Health announces site selection for elective hospitals in Dublin following update to Government

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly has today updated his Cabinet colleagues on the development of the Enhanced Provision of Elective Care Programme, including the selection of sites in Dublin for the development of elective hospitals.

Sites at Crumlin (former site of the Children's Hospital) and Connolly Hospital have now been identified as most appropriate for Elective Hospitals in Dublin. These are in addition to the sites previously selected at St Stephen's Hospital in Cork, and Merlin Park in Galway, for which the design process is now well underway.

Elective-only facilities cater for high-volume, relatively low-complexity cases. The Surgical Hubs and Elective Hospitals will enable the separation of emergency and elective care. This will mean fewer cancellations and delays for elective care caused by seasonal pressures, localised outbreaks, and surges in emergency attendances. Reducing waiting times for elective cases leads to better health outcomes and improved quality of life for those individuals being treated and their families. The greater elective care capacity also releases capacity in existing hospitals for non-elective and inpatient activity.

The Minister also noted progress in the delivery of new Surgical Hubs, which will open to patients this year and next year across the country to deliver more day-case elective care. The larger national Elective Hospitals will be developed in Cork, Galway and Dublin in the longer term.

Minister Donnelly said:

"I am delighted to be able to update my colleagues on these important developments. We are making significant progress in reducing waiting lists and the development of Surgical Hubs and Elective Hospitals will really help to drive a further reduction in the number of patients waiting for treatment in 2024 and beyond.

"These new facilities will deliver a step change in the way we deliver elective care in this country, benefitting patients and their families. Better delivery of elective care will also free up capacity for our emergency departments and critical care facilities."

The Minister noted progress on delivery as follows:

Elective Hospitals

Sites have now been identified for development of four Elective Hospitals:

Dublin: Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown; and the current Children's Hospital site, Crumlin.

Cork: St Stephen's Hospital, Sarsfield Court

Galway: Merlin Park University Hospital

The Health Service Executive (HSE) is managing the development and delivery of the Elective Hospitals and has been developing detailed plans for the workstreams required, including workforce, digital/ICT, clinical and operational, public engagement and consultation.

Procurement of an Architect-led Integrated Design Team and Project Controls Team to lead the next stage of work and take forward the design to pre-tender stage readiness is in the final stages with appointments expected over the summer.

Surgical Hubs

Surgical Hubs are being rapidly progressed by the HSE and will either be on the site of Model 4 hospitals, or on sites operated under the governance of those hospitals.

Notes to Editors:

Surgical Hubs:

The new hubs are modelled on the very successful Reeves Centre at Tallaght University Hospital which has substantially reduced waiting times for day-case procedures.

Since opening in December 2020, it has led to a 17% reduction in the total Day Case Waiting List at Tallaght University Hospital and a 34% improvement in the achievement of the 12-week Sláintecare Access Target for day case procedures.

When fully operational, each hub is expected to deliver approximately 4,000 additional day case procedures, 5,800 additional minor operations, and 18,500 additional outpatient consultations annually.

Elective Hospitals:

The development of Elective Hospitals was a recommendation of the 2017 cross-party Sláintecare report. Whilst plans are still in development, it is estimated that the additional capacity to be provided by the Elective Hospitals (in terms of procedures, treatments and diagnostics) will be 977,700 annually.

In order to ensure that the right procedures, locations and sites are selected, and ultimately represent the best value for taxpayers' money, careful planning and deliberation is required. The programme is therefore being developed in line with Government's Infrastructure Guidelines. These ensure that capital investment decisions are underpinned by a clear policy rationale and that costs, risks, and mitigating actions are well developed and understood.

The elective care clinical specialties within scope are:

• General Surgery
• Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat)
• Orthopaedics
• Plastic Surgery
• Ophthalmology
• Gastroenterology
• Urology
• Pain Medicine
• Gynaecology
• Vascular surgery (peripheral surgery)