THE MERCY University Hospital in Cork yesterday announced that it is to open its new €4.7 million emergency department at the start of December.
This follows a stand-off with the HSE over funding for the AE facility, which has lain idle since it was completed in March 2007.
The hospital's chief executive, Pat Madden, confirmed yesterday that the new facility would open on a 24/7 basis in four weeks' time but without a full range of additional services that the hospital had hoped to provide in the new facility.
"We are very pleased that this move is taking place after such a long and protracted delay. Our first priority was to move the department from facilities which were acknowledged as not fit for purpose," said Mr Madden in a statement.
Mr Madden said that the hospital had "a very clear vision of the kind of optimum service" that could be provided at the new emergency department.
This includes an advanced nurse practitioner to fast-track minor injuries, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and social work support.
"These additional services cannot now be provided in the new facilities but may be introduced at a later stage, on a phased basis, depending on the level of HSE support provided," said Mr Madden, adding that part of the new facility would be cordoned off in the hope of expanding the services.
Last April, Mr Madden announced with regret that the hospital would not be able to open the new facility on a 24/7 basis as a result of a projected shortfall in HSE funding and would instead open on a part-time basis from 8am to 8pm.
That led to an intensification of talks with the HSE in a bid to resolve the ongoing dispute over staffing levels.
The hospital argued that it needed an extra 25 staff to open the new 750sq m facility which was built to replace the existing 209sq m unit at the hospital.
The new emergency department will now open with the existing complement of staff of 46 and will be funded from the hospital's own resources after negotiations with the HSE failed to secure any additional funding.
The HSE has said that when original approval was given for the facility, the hospital sought an additional revenue allocation of €400,000 but when building work finished in January 2007, the hospital requested €1.497 million to staff the new facility.
The new facility was designed to cater for 30,000 patients compared to the existing department's 25,000 capacity.
However, in May, the HSE said that the initial expectations of a surge in attendances at the new facility were incorrect and that 25,000 attendances were now expected.