Press Release: Friday 26 May 2023
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly is today (Friday 26 May 2023) announcing the site locations for a number of ‘Surgical Hubs’ nationally.
The surgical hubs are being developed in key locations on-site or on sites operated under the governance of Model 4 hospitals with the intent of having an impact on day-case waiting lists in advance of the development of regional elective hospitals. They will also allow hospitals to focus on other areas of waiting lists as many day-case procedures can be moved to the surgical hubs.
The hubs are being modelled on the very successful Reeves Centre at Tallaght University Hospital. Over the course of the first 24 months of operation of the Reeves Centre, the total number of patients waiting on day case surgery reduced by 58%, with a 91% reduction in patients waiting over 3 months.
Speaking on a visit to Galway, Minister Donnelly announced the following site selections:
| Galway | Merlin Park University Hospital (modular build) |
| Cork | Cork University Hospital (modular build) |
| Dublin North | Site being finalised (turnkey fit-out) |
| Dublin South | Mount Carmel (refurbishment) |
| Waterford | University Hospital Waterford (modular build) |
| Limerick | Site being finalised (rapid/modular build) |
Minister Donnelly said: “These surgical hubs now being developed will address waiting lists in the shorter term and will complement the longer-term development of regional elective hospitals in Galway, Cork and Dublin.
“We continue to see the successful operation of the surgical hub at the Reeves Centre in Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin where many waiting lists for day-case procedures have fallen dramatically and been eliminated.
“I’ve asked the HSE to ensure that the first of the new hubs will be operational before the end of this year, with more following in 2024.”