The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll Mac Neill was in Galway this week with hospital management and staff, regarding the campus developments at both University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital.
During her visit to University Hospital Galway (UHG) earlier this week, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill welcomed progress in the development of an ambitious masterplan for the campus which will deliver safe, person-centred healthcare into the coming decades.
UHG serves a population of over 850,000 people and is one of the busiest hospitals in the country. The hospital is committed to providing excellent patient care but is challenged by outdated and sub-optimal facilities.
Minister Carroll MacNeill met with HSE management and staff to discuss the UHG Masterplan, a transformative initiative designed to reshape healthcare delivery for the West and North West of Ireland over the next 25 years.
The development control plan (DCP) for UHG has been completed and comprises of major projects, to be delivered in a phased manner, providing additional capacity in a way which does not disrupt the ongoing operation of the hospital:
- Two new Ward Blocks, each providing 150 acute beds
- A new Laboratory Block
- A new Emergency, ICUand Surgical block
- A new permanent helipad
The final stages of the development control plan includes:
- An enlarged Main Entrance
- An enlarged Paediatric/Maternity Centre
- Facilities for Staff, Research and Education
In addition to these major capital projects on the UHG campus, significant developments are underway at Merlin Park University Hospital. In line with the Masterplan, high volume, low complexity cases such as elective, day case procedures and outpatient services will move to the Merlin Park University Hospital campus, while complex acute care, oncology maternity and pediatric inpatient care will remain in UHG.
