Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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33. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide further information on the new elective hospital in Cork; if he will outline the next steps in the process; the timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60861/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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This week the Government has approved the Enhanced Provision of Elective Care Programme and the preferred locations for the development of new Elective Hospitals in Cork and Galway. In Cork, the preferred site is at St Stephen’s Hospital, Sarsfield Court.

In December 2021 the Government agreed, subject to the necessary approvals and requirements under the Public Spending Code being met, a new National Elective Ambulatory Care Strategy. This new strategy aims to change the way in which day cases, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged to ensure greater capacity in the future. The initial phase of elective care reform will be focussed on addressing demand for high volume/low complexity procedures and treatments. The Elective Hospitals will also be designed to provide sufficient capacity to facilitate future phases, including some elective in-patient capacity.

The development of additional capacity will be provided through dedicated, standalone Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin. The locations chosen will allow for new facilities of a size and scale to implement a national elective care programme that will tackle waiting times on a national basis. The new facilities will be designed to maximise their capacity and coverage. In doing so they will provide a national service, operating to cover as wide a catchment area as possible, extending beyond existing and future health areas. The introduction of this new delivery capability into the Public Healthcare System will benefit the whole population by providing a sustainable and strategic response to cater for the highly dynamic landscape of healthcare policy and practice.

Following detailed internal and external assurance the Preliminary Project Business Cases for the new Elective Hospitals in Cork and Galway have now received Government approval-in-principle at Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code (PSC). The projects can now move to Gate 2 of the PSC (detailed project brief and procurement strategy). I have asked my officials to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to explore options to expedite the delivery of the Elective Hospitals wherever possible.