A Development Control Plan for the use of the University Hospital Galway campus from now until 2045 will be completed by the end of March, the HSE revealed this week at the Regional Health Forum.
A draft of the DCP, addressing all feedback received to date, is due to be completed in the first quarter. Considerable enabling, decanting and site clearance works are required to facilitate delivery of the major projects and these have been identified as distinct packages of work.
Some of the site clearance and enabling works have already commenced, with the DCP being the first site plan to have the agreement of everyone from the clinical services at the campus which it is hoped will be developed into the premier hospital facility in the region.
The revelation was made in response to a question from Cllr MJ Crowe who asked for a breakdown of where the masterplan for the UHG Campus and the pathway to its completion.
The reply from Micheal Conneely, Assistant National Director, Capital & Estates with the HSE said that based on the findings of a demand modelling study, the Development Control Plan (DCP ) for the University Hospital Galway (UHG ) Campus is in final draft and represents a masterplan for development of the campus to 2045.
Given the scale of investment required a number of proposed projects at UHG will constitute ‘Major Projects’ (i.e. will have an estimated capital cost in excess of €200 million ) and as such will require additional approvals including review by the Major Projects Advisory Group and Government Approval.
It is intended that a Strategic Assessment Review (SAR ) for the DCP be submitted to the HSE and the Department of Health for review and comment in Q2 2025. A business consultant has now been appointed to assist in preparing this SAR.
Individual projects are then intended to proceed on a phased basis in accordance with the sequencing described in the DCP. A tender is currently being prepared to appoint a single business consultant to progress all individual projects through further stages of the infrastructure guidelines, starting with preparation of PBCs.
Tender competitions to set up a number of new Design Team Frameworks - to progress all projects including enabling works - are also currently being prepared. It is intended that all consultants/Design Team members to progress the major projects and related enabling works will be appointed over the course of Q2/Q3 2025.
Progress and completion of the major scope of work set out as the ‘mid state’ projects in the DCP in a timely fashion will be dependent on the relevant approvals being obtained, on availability of required funding, and on the provision of sufficient internal resources to manage the design and construction processes in an effective manner.
