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For Oral Answer on : 15/02/2022
Question Number(s): 78,156 Question Reference(s): 7678/22, 7720/22
Department: Health
Asked by: Colm Burke T.D., David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
* To ask the Minister for Health when it is proposed to announce the site of the proposed elective hospital in Cork; if a site been identified; the timescale for when planning will be applied for and construction work to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Colm Burke T.D.
For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 15 February, 2022.
* To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the progress made to date in the development of a new elective hospital in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– David Stanton T.D.
For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 15 February, 2022.
REPLY
The development of new elective care capacity is a key commitment of the Programme for Government. Last December, I brought a Memo to Government and secured agreement on a new National Elective Ambulatory Care Strategy that will transform the way in which day case, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged to ensure greater capacity in the future and help to tackle waiting lists through the development of dedicated, standalone Elective Hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin.
Initial proposals, as set out in a Strategic Assessment Report, had been to develop elective, day-case hospitals only. However, extensive consultations with stakeholders, particularly in Cork and Galway, indicated support for incorporating some in-patient care in the new elective facilities. Accordingly, the Government agreed that the elective care scope of service will now be developed in two phases commencing with day cases, diagnostics, and outpatients and with in-patient care to be developed in a subsequent phase.
I am pleased to be able to inform Deputies that project Preliminary Business Cases for Cork and Galway have now been submitted to my Department and that the internal review process is underway. The project PBC for Dublin is at an advanced stage of development. If approved internally, the Business Cases will be submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s recently introduced External Assurance Process after which further memoranda for Government could then be brought forward. While it is difficult to be certain about timelines, I hope to look for approval-in-principle to proceed no later than the summer.