state-of-the-art ward is dedicated to cardiothoracic surgery.
The ward is built to the highest standard and accommodates three isolation rooms, three two-bedded wards and a four-bedded ward depending on the needs of the patients.
The area include a pre discharge lounge/ waiting area for patients waiting for admission. There is also a treatment room / pre assessment room where patients can be pre assessed prior to surgery.
Costing €4.71m to design, build and equip, the ward has a state-of-the-art monitoring facility with telemetry and in-room monitoring. This provides privacy to the patient when they are resting while allowing them to be monitored by staff in the ward twenty four hours a day.
It is staffed by dedicated specialist medical, nursing and allied health professional team with regular upskilling programmes to ensure that staff deliver the most up to date care.
Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon for the Saolta University Health Care Group Mr Alan Soo welcomed the opening of the new ward.
“I’m delighted to open this new ward to the patients requiring cardiothoracic care in the Saolta Hospital HealthCare Group. This state-of-the-art ward is built to the highest standard and regulations which I’m extremely proud of.
“It will allow us to provide patient care in a safe and clean environment at the same time giving adequate privacy to the patients to recover in their own time. Here, I would like to acknowledge all personnel involve in making this ward project a reality,” he added.
The Cardiothoracic Unit in UHG is the sole tertiary referral centre for both cardiac and thoracic surgery in the West of Ireland. The thoracic service is one of four designated NCCP lung cancer surgery centres in Ireland. The department delivers both elective and emergency services to all hospitals within the Saolta Hospital Health Care Group. It is also a designated training centre for junior surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals.
The cardiothoracic ward project was included in the Health Service Executive’s 2021 Capital Programme and was granted Capital Allocation in 2021.
The ward was opened on May 31 2022 on a phased basis with the first 10 patients transferred to the new ward. The further three beds will be opened in Q3, 2022.
Ms Chris Kane, Hospital Manager said this new Cardiothoracic ward is a welcome addition to the hospital and will ensure patients from across the region have the best possible care with state-of-the-art facilities.
