It is still unclear as to whether or not the dedicated colonoscopy service, which had been planned for St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny will be included in the 2012 annual review of the Capital Plan.
The unit has been planned since before the death of Susie Long some three years ago.
According to a spokesperson from the hospital the Capital Plan is already ‘fully subscribed’ despite the new unit being in the pipeline for so long.
Currently St Luke’s Hospital provides endoscopy services for symptomatic referrals. Just before her death Susie Long was invited along with her family and the media to a private viewing of the plans for the proposed new unit and a tour of the hospital.
During this visit Susie had expressed her delight at the prospect of nobody suffering the same fate that she was destined to suffer as a result of a seven-month wait for a colonoscopy procedure.
However, it has been revealed that approval for the development of the dedicated colonoscopy service and unit must now await consideration for inclusion as part of the 2012 annual review of the Capital Plan, as this year’s Plan “is already fully subscribed” although the unit has been listed as a priority in the overall Capital Plan.
The planned 24-bed day services/endoscopy unit at St Luke’s General Hospital for Carlow/Kilkenny was originally to be part of the first phase of a proposed wider €25 million redevelopment project which was to incorporate new facilities for the emergency department, the medical assessment unit, a community day hospital, pharmacy, education/training centre and a new main hospital entrance and concourse.
In 2008 a design team was appointed to progress all of the projects highlighted in Phase 1 of the redevelopment and a planning application was lodged with the local authority in May 2009 with approval being subsequently received.
Design documentation for the redevelopment has been prepared and the pre-tender cost check is expected to be completed in the next number of weeks, after which a report will be issued to the HSE by the design team.
