Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to take this opportunity to thank Deputy Connolly for raising this matter and for her good wishes. I am pleased to have this opportunity to update Members regarding hospital developments in Galway.

Galway University Hospitals, GUH, which encompasses University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital, provide a comprehensive range of services to emergency and elective patients on an inpatient, outpatient and day-care basis across the two sites. UHG has approximately 700 beds and is a tertiary referral centre for the western region. Its emergency department has approximately 62,000 patients attending annually.

The programme for a partnership Government has committed to progressing a new emergency department facility for University Hospital Galway. The development of this new emergency department is a capital priority for the Saolta University Health Care Group. The HSE's capital plan for 2016 includes funding for a full option appraisal and cost-benefit analysis to inform planning and funding requirements for a new emergency department at University Hospital Galway. The cost-benefit analysis with regard to a new emergency department is in its final stages and it is anticipated that this will be completed shortly. If favourable, this then will progress to design stage this year.

While there are no plans for a new hospital to be built in County Galway, as outlined by the Deputy, considerable developments have been ongoing to improve facilities at University Hospital Galway. Pending the development of a new emergency department at the hospital, in order to alleviate pressures and to ensure that patient experience in the existing emergency department is improved, 30 additional beds opened at the hospital earlier this year. In addition, a number of significant projects have been completed at University Hospital Galway in recent years. These include the clinical research facility, the upgrade to the maternity unit and the cystic fibrosis outpatient department, which was completed in 2014 and is now operational. Furthermore, two major developments are currently under way in Galway. Construction work is ongoing on the new 75-bed ward block, which will provide single-room inpatient accommodation. In addition, a new acute mental health department is under way and is expected to be completed early in 2017. Following the transfer of mental health services to the new acute department, work will begin on the construction of a project under the national plan for radiation oncology for which the Health Service Executive, HSE, already has obtained planning permission. Further investment in individual hospitals must be considered within the overall acute hospital infrastructure programme and the establishment of hospital groups.

As for Deputy Connolly's question on whether I have yet met the hospital group, I have not, but it is my intention to meet all the hospital groups in the coming weeks. At present, I am engaging with all the front-line stakeholder organisations. I had a productive meeting with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, today and with the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, last week. I will have further meetings with more of the front-line union representatives tomorrow. However, I expect to meet the Saolta board-----

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