Saolta University Healthcare Group has been accused of dishonesty after internal documents emerged confirming that no additional bed capacity will result from the development of a new €17.6-million ward block.
Surgeries were deferred and full-capacity protocol was invoked twice in the past week as University Hospital Galway (UHG) struggled to cope with ongoing overcrowding issues.
However, the Galway City Tribune recently revealed that three existing wards would be closed or demolished as part of the development, meaning that no net increase in bed capacity would result from the multimillion-euro investment.
The issue was raised at a meeting of the HSE Regional Health Forum last week by Councillor Padraig Conneely, but hospital management refused to be drawn on the matter and claimed the new building would help to address current capacity issues.
Cllr Conneely has described the response as “very dishonest” after a number of documents emerged confirming that the development of the new 75-bed block was only ever intended to replace existing hospital accommodation – not to increase it.
Furthermore, the documents reveal that planning permission granted in respect of the new building explicitly required that no additional bed spaces would be created by the development.
Formal assurances were provided to the planning authority by hospital management in this regard.
In a letter from Tony Canavan received by Galway City Council in February 2013, the then-Chief Operating Officer of the hospital group stated that the “ward block will provide replacement accommodation for existing older ward accommodation”.
“This is not additional accommodation/beds but replacement for older infrastructure within the hospital which has not been upgraded,” he confirmed.
For more on the hospital accommodation crisis, see this week’s Galway City Tribune
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