Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill welcomes progress in University Hospital Galway (UHG) infrastructure Masterplan

During her visit to Galway University Hospitals (GUH) today, Thursday 15th May, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill welcomed progress in the development of an ambitious masterplan for the campus which will deliver safe, person-centred healthcare into the coming decades.  

GUH is the only Model 4 Hospital in HSE West North West, it serves a population of over 850,000 people and is one of the busiest hospitals in the country.  The hospital is committed to providing excellent patient care but is challenged by outdated and sub-optimal facilities.

Minister Carroll MacNeill met with HSE management and staff today to discuss the UHG Masterplan, a transformative initiative designed to reshape healthcare delivery for the West and North West of Ireland over the next 25 years.

The development control plan (DCP) for UHG has been completed and will be used to support capital submissions for a series of priority capital projects on the campus. This DCP is a critical plan which sets out when and how each essential piece of infrastructure can be developed in a holistic approach to improve the capacity and services available to the people of the West and North West region. The plan comprises the following major projects, to be delivered in a phased manner, providing meaningful additional capacity in a way which does not disrupt the ongoing operation of the hospital:

• Two new Ward Blocks, each providing 150 acute beds with shell and core floors for later fit-outs including maternity and diagnostic services
• An Ambulatory Cancer Centre
• A new Laboratory Block
• A new Emergency, ICU and Surgical block

A new, permanent helipad which allows the hospital to be futureproofed for the next 40 years is a vital component of this work.The final stages of the development control plan includes the following additional accommodation:

• An enlarged Main Entrance
• An enlarged Paediatric/Maternity Centre
• Facilities for Staff, Research and Education

In addition to these major capital projects on the UHG campus, significant developments are underway at Merlin Park University Hospital (MPUH). In line with the Masterplan, high volume, low complexity cases such as elective, day case procedures and outpatient services will move to the MPUH campus while complex acute care, oncology, maternity and paediatric inpatient care will remain in UHG.

The infrastructure developments ongoing in Merlin Park involve;

• Construction of a new surgical hub which is expected to open in Q2 2026. When operating at full capacity the hub has the potential to carry out day case operations and minor surgical procedures from 8am to 8pm, six days a week.
   
• A site has been identified to build a new elective hospital for the region. This project is currently in stage one design, enabling works are progressing to de-risk the site in advance of the main construction phase. The new elective hospital will provide significant additional capacity, enabling the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care.
   
• Outpatient services are being decanted to the Merlin Park site. The build for Phase One of the Outpatient Department block in MPUH was completed in 2024 and the building became operational earlier this year. Phase Two of this development which will enable the relocation of further outpatient appointments to Merlin Park is currently at design stage. This decanting of services to Merlin Park is a key to unlocking the space to deliver the additional capacity on the UHG campus.

As part of her visit, Minister Carroll MacNeill visited the Merlin Park campus to view the site of the new surgical hub, the proposed site for the planned new elective hospital and the recently opened Outpatient Department.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said:

“I’m very pleased to be here today to see the impact of the Government’s significant investment in Galway University Hospitals, both at Merlin Park University Hospital and University Hospital Galway. It was a pleasure to meet with and thank staff in the newly opened Outpatient Department and Cystic Fibrosis Units at Merlin Park, which represent a combined investment of almost €19 million.

“I also met with the team to discuss plans to modernise Galway University Hospitals and I’m excited to see the real progress being made with the new Surgical Hub for the region. I know the team in Galway have worked closely with officials in my Department to develop a holistic plan that is comprehensive and deliverable.

“The upgrading, modernising and expansion of patient facilities in Galway will contribute to improved waiting times and greater care for patients not just in Galway but across the West and North West region.”

Chris Kane, Hospital Manager for GUH commented: “The development control plan is a significant piece of work which sets out a phased expansion and reform of the hospital over the coming years. In terms of next steps, a Programmatic Strategic Assessment Report has been completed and is with the HSE for review. This will form part of a Preliminary Business Case for the programme which will include how we plan to move forward with Phase One. Each of the subsequent phases required to deliver the overall ambition will be developed in turn.

“A parallel development control plan for MPUH is underway and decanting works are in progress. We are very excited about the potential of this plan to deliver a modern, future-proofed hospital which our patients need and deserve.”

Ann Cosgrove, IHA Manager for Galway and Roscommon said: “Separating acute and non-acute services will greatly improve efficiency and ultimately better serve our patients.

“The new surgical hub and elective hospital 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.

“We are progressing the new surgical hub at pace; phase one of the Outpatients block is open with services moving across from UHG and phase two is underway. All these projects are extremely important and will enable the expansion of health services to meet the future needs of our population.”

Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer HSE West and North West concluded: “We need to ensure that the only Model 4 hospital we have in the region meets the highest standards and delivers the best possible outcomes for patients. I was delighted to welcome Minister Carroll MacNeill to GUH today and I would like to thank her for her support in progressing these ambitious plans for better patient care in our region.” 

Photo Caption:
The new surgical hub site at Merlin Park University Hospital, from left: Maria Molloy, Deputy General Manager, Galway University Hospitals; Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill; Deirdre Killeen, Projects Officer, General Managers Office at GUH; Niall Colleary, Assistant National Director Capital and Estates; and Ann Cosgrove, Integrated Healthcare Area Manager, Galway and Roscommon.