A public consultation recently held by University Hospital Galway (UHG ) indicates strong public support for an ambitious development plan at the region’s only model 4 hospital.
UHG is in the process of redesigning and expanding the hospital campus to provide better patient care and improve waiting times for patients both in Galway and right across the west and north west. This plan (Development Control Plan ) represents the largest ever investment in healthcare infrastructure in the region.
This is long-term programme of work which sets out a phased expansion and reform of the hospital up to the year 2045. Over time, the project will deliver 300 additional inpatient beds alongside the construction of a new ED, critical care unit, new surgical theatres, a cancer centre, laboratory, a women and children’s block and a new permanent helipad.
Collaboration and engagement with local communities is central to the successful delivery of this plan and the project team in UHG have recently completed an extensive public consultation programme. The purpose of the consultation was to present the Development Control Plan to local communities, businesses and public representatives and encourage all interested stakeholders to have their say on the future of the hospital, including the location of the helipad.
The consultation took place over a number of weeks with two community drop-in days taking place alongside a number of targeted briefings for staff and public representatives. The project team met with 247 people throughout these events which were a valuable opportunity for dialogue, questions, and detailed feedback.
In addition to these sessions, 157 feedback submissions were received online; 148 responses via a survey tool and nine email responses.
Findings
There was a high level of overall support for the proposed plan: 45% were very supportive, 24% somewhat supportive, 13% neutral, 7% somewhat unsupportive, and about 5% were unsupportive.
Analysis of 135 comments from the consultation indicated strong overall support for hospital development, driven by a shared perception that the existing facilities were outdated and inadequate for the growing population.
Priority areas for improvement were identified as; emergency department capacity, cited in 115 comments, and parking and accessibility, mentioned in 104 comments. Other areas highlighted included critical care services, outpatient services and patient accommodation and comfort.
The helipad was widely acknowledged as clinically necessary, a strong majority (65.7% ) expressed no objection to the preferred location and were broadly supportive of the helipad being located close to critical care functions. However, concerns were raised in relation to the potential loss of green spaces and community amenity, access and placement, governance and compliance and safety, noise and environment.
Respondents emphasised that the plan must address several critical issues: emergency department overcrowding, mental health services, parking and access, and the helipad’s impact on the local community.
Overall, the consultation demonstrated strong engagement and broad support for the development plans, while identifying key areas for refinement to ensure the project delivers an inclusive, efficient, and community-focused hospital for the future.
Chris Kane, Hospital Manager said they are investing in this hospital for the benefit of our communities.
“It is so important that the same communities are involved in the planning and design process. It was extremely helpful for us as a project team to hear directly from the public about their views, questions or concerns and this feedback will inform the next stages of the project. It is encouraging to know there is strong public support to modernise and enhance the hospital and we are committed to continued engagement with all stakeholders as we move forward.”
Ann Cosgrove, Integrated Healthcare Area Manager for HSE Galway and Roscommon said the development of both UHG and Merlin Park sites are essential to address several healthcare challenges in our region including future demands.
“In line with the Masterplan for major capital development across both UHG and Merlin Park campus, high volume, low complexity cases such as elective, day case procedures and outpatient services will move to Merlin Park while complex acute care, oncology, maternity and paediatric inpatient care will remain in UHG. Separating acute and non-acute services will greatly improve efficiency and ultimately better serve our patients.
“The new surgical hub and elective treatment centre which are underway in Merlin Park are crucial developments which will change the way in which day cases, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged across the region, ensuring greater capacity in the future and helping to address waiting times.
“Combined, these major capital projects will deliver state-of-the-art clinical facilities and transform the care we provide to patients, she added.
