Dublin’s oldest maternity hospital is to open a new outpatient centre to bring the healthcare facility to a “modern day, 21st century building”.
On Friday the Rotunda Hospital revealed the site of the new outpatient and ambulatory services, which will be located in the Earl Building in the newly-revamped Clerys Quarter. It will cost more than €40 million, all of which is being funded by the Government.
The site, which is envisaged to be fully commissioned by December of next year, will provide over 100,000 appointments annually. The services at the site include maternity outpatients, paediatric outpatients, colposcopy, perinatal mental health and allied health and social work/dietetics.
Jim Hussey, secretary general of the Rotunda hospital, said the development was “exciting” because it “unlocks the existing site on Parnell Square”.
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“We have major plans and proposals around developing a critical care wing, and this site is a key enabler in allowing us to progress that project. It also puts our healthcare facilities in a modern 21st century building. While we love the Rotunda it is a 300-year-old building, and the outpatient facility at the moment is a very restricted space so that’s why we’re so enthused, delighted and motivated.”
The new wing will provide a new and expanded neonatal intensive care unit, a special baby care unit, expanded delivery suite and theatre capacity and other clinical supports.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the quality of care delivered in the Rotunda was of the “highest quality” and the new building would “enable that care to continue to be delivered in facilities more befitting of a 21st century health system”.
“It’s a state-of-the-art building. It’s going to make such a difference for patients. We know the Rotunda in terms of its outpatient services were not fit for purpose.”
Mr Donnelly also spoke about his announcement that he intends to eliminate cervical cancer in Ireland by 2040. He said he does not have concerns about capacity to meet this target.
“We’re going to have the vast majority of the testing here at the laboratory at the Coombe,” he said. “The lab is going to be scaled up over a five-year period. In terms of training people and more people available and coming in, it’s going to take several years to do that. I have no concerns about the ability to scale up.”
