Plans for new Cork surgical hub are progressing, insists health minister

Plans for the delivery of a new surgical hub in Cork are progressing, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has stated.

The hub, to be located at Cork University Hospital, is one of six being developed nationally to reduce day-case waiting lists in advance of the delivery of regional elective hospitals.

The hubs are based on the success of the Reeves Centre at Tallaght University Hospital, which reduced day-case surgery by 58% over 24 months.

The minister has confirmed that a planning application has been lodged and that enabling works are now under way.

The planning documents describe the proposed new hub as a partially two-storey, partially three-storey, surgical building.

An existing medical gas store will be demolished, and there will be modifications to car parking, bicycle parking, signage, and landscaping at the hospital site.

CUH has previously said it is anticipated that the hub will open at the end of 2024.

The Government intends to build a new regional elective surgical hospital within the next 10 years, on the old St Stephens Hospital site in Glanmire.

Once the regional elective hospital opens, the day case work at CUH (and elsewhere in Cork) will transfer there, and the CUH elective surgery hub will then focus on more complex inpatient surgery, dealing with additional growth in cancer and inpatient surgical needs of the population.

Speaking about the progress to the six new hubs, Mr Donnelly said: “We have now seen a second year in a row with a reduction in waiting lists and I am determined that we will see a further reduction in the number of patients waiting in 2024.

“The surgical hubs will add to our reduced waiting times for day-case procedures in 2024.”