Trends in sustainability, digitalisation, and patient-centricity are shaping the future of healthcare. As Bon Secours Health System (BSHS) continues to expand, it’s no surprise that these elements feature strongly in its ambitious expansion plans.
As Ireland’s largest independent hospital group, its five locations in Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Dublin and Galway employ more than 3,500 staff, with 500 consultants, treating more than 300,000 patients every year. This is set to grow even further in the coming years, with the opening of new facilities and services at its existing sites and the construction of a state-of-the-art hospital in Limerick.
It’s all part of its 2025 strategic plan, which sets out a vision for a hospital group that is at the cutting edge of patient care and future-proofed to adapt to changing patient needs and technological advances.
A veteran of the public health service, Bill Maher is group chief executive of BSHS. He admits that the group’s growth plans are ambitious but is keen to emphasise that this expansion is part of a broader plan to “enhance Ireland’s healthcare” in partnership with other stakeholders, including the public health system and the Government.
Why an SSE Airtricity energy audit was a game changer for Aran Woollen Mills on its net-zero journey
Getting solid legal advice early in your company’s journey is invaluable
Water pollution has no one cause but many small steps and working together can bring great change
Empowering women in pharma: MSD Ireland’s commitment to supporting diverse leadership
“The Bons” as it is known colloquially, is different in that it is a not-for-profit organisation. This means its increasing revenues are continually reinvested into its staff and facilities, in the interest of patients.
“Because we are a charity, we have an ethos that is about providing ‘good health’,” says Maher. “But we run it like a business so that we can perform like a business.”
As such, patient feedback is collected on a daily basis, he notes. “Every patient that comes into us is asked if they want to take part in a patient survey, which is run independently.”
Feedback is consistently high, well above international standards, Maher says adding that this is no accident. “We don’t just treat the ailment or the condition. We treat the whole person, and we ensure their stay is comfortable and they are well looked after, as part of our philosophy to provide good help to those in need.”
The group is implementing a strategic €300 million capital investment plan, which includes an additional 25-bed day ward and oncology unit in Dublin, to open in June this year, and a procedure unit and 20-bed surgical ward in Tralee, which will open in late 2024.
The flagship project, however, is the group’s €190 million new 150-bed hospital in Limerick. The sod was turned on the project earlier this year and Maher anticipates the ribbon will be cut no later than January 2025.
New services such as cardiology, general medicine, endocrinology, neurology, and respiratory medicine will be offered at the hospital, and it will also incorporate a medical assessment unit. “This will really help with the pressure on trolleys in this region as part of our partnership approach with University Hospital Limerick,” notes Maher.
According to Sinead Daly, director of planning and business development, the new hospital offers a golden opportunity to build a truly sustainable, digital hospital that is designed with the patient experience at the fore.
“The patient journey was key in the design of this build,” says Daly. “We are mindful of patients and their surroundings. There is a significant investment being made in the acoustics of the rooms so that they are adequately soundproofed.” The hospital will also be surrounded by landscaped gardens. These things sound simple, but can make a huge difference, she says. “It’s a place for people to get well.”
Sustainability is a key tenet of the BSHS 2025 strategy, and the new hospital will embody that, Daly adds. “We want to really set ourselves apart as a leader in sustainable healthcare,” she says. “We have the ongoing challenge of older hospitals and buildings that we are working to upgrade and become more energy efficient but with the Limerick development we have an opportunity with a new hospital on a greenfield site starting from scratch.”
Indeed, the new hospital will have every sustainability signature: air-to-water heat pump technology, photovoltaic solar systems, LED lighting, and high-efficiency circulation pumps, as well as EV charging facilities.
Another area in which BSHS is breaking new ground is the introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) for patients — a potential game changer that has been long delayed in the public health system. The phased implementation of an EHR will commence in the coming months at BSHS as part of its ambitious digital health transformation programme.
Increasing revenues are continually re-invested into its staff and facilities, in the interest of patients
Recruitment and retention of quality healthcare professionals is a major priority, and the group plans to attract highly skilled staff to its New Limerick Hospital. Maher admits it’s a challenging market for healthcare workers, both in Ireland and globally, but says BSHS is striving to set itself apart as a place where people want to come to work.
“We are very competitive in terms of pay, that’s a given, but it’s the extra things that are important,” he says. “That’s why we have a very strong culture of recognition and reward in the Bons.”
This includes an employee awards night — “our Oscars” — and the upcoming family fun day, a chance for staff from all five sites to gather with their families for barbecues and bouncy castles.
But it’s also about working for an organisation with a clear strategic vision of the future of healthcare, says Daly. We foster a feeling of belonging and open communication with our people, involving them in decision-making and the future of the organisation.
We truly believe in having exceptional people delivering exceptional care.