Plans for surgical hub in CUH greenlit
A planning report submitted with the application said the provision of surgical hubs is “an important and urgent healthcare infrastructure that is required to address both the national and local healthcare surgery provision and capacity needs for scheduled day surgeries across the southwestern region”.
CORK City Council has granted planning permission for the proposed surgical hub on the campus of Cork University Hospital (CUH).
The new hub is to be developed on the western side of the CUH campus and is expected to be operational from 2025.
The planning application was submitted by the Health Service Executive Estates (South West).
A planning report submitted with the application said the provision of surgical hubs is “an important and urgent healthcare infrastructure that is required to address both the national and local healthcare surgery provision and capacity needs for scheduled day surgeries across the southwestern region”.
The surgical hub will comprise four operating theatres, plus two minor procedure rooms.
It is envisaged, the report said, that there will be approximately 143 patients accessing the facility per day by appointment, with a maximum of 100 staff members working per day.
Cork City Council had requested some further information on the plans before making a decision on the application, the responses to which were furnished to the council in March.
There are 24 conditions attached to the local authority’s approval of the development.
One stipulates that, “in the interests of clarifying and planning for the future development of the CUH health campus”, a draft outline plan “incorporating a landscape masterplan for the entire CUH campus” must be submitted to the council in the next six months “detailing future development proposals/site opportunities within the campus, investigating the need for further staff facilities such as a creche, outlining existing and proposed staff numbers and developing an open space policy for the campus incorporating future staff/patient/visitor accessible open space areas”.
The final campus masterplan must then be submitted to the planning authority within a year.
Speaking last week, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the delivery of facilities such as the surgical hub at CUH will be transformative.
“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,” he said.
The four elective hospitals are set to be delivered at two sites in Dublin, in Galway and on the grounds of St Stephen’s Hospital, Sarsfield Court, Glanmire. In advance of the hospitals, six surgical hubs are proposed to be delivered, including the one at CUH.
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