The new Swords Surgical Hub, which will deal with day case surgeries from Beaumont Hospital, will open it’s first phase by the end of the year.
Construction at the site at Unit 1 of the Swords Business Campus is currently under way and the Department of Health have confirmed that they expect both the Swords and Mount Carmel Surgical Hubs to be operational by the end of 2024.
A recent department update on the two Dublin surgical hubs said:
“Construction and fit-out works are underway and the first phase for both Hubs will be operational in 2024.”
The new facility will be a huge benefit to Swords as it caters for patients that need elective surgery under general or local anaesthesia or sedation and are scheduled to go home on the same day following their procedure.
The new facility will be under Beaumont Hospital and is aimed at driving down day-case waiting lists at the hospital.
Minor surgery in a large number of disciplines are expected to be available at the hub including: General Surgery, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), orthopaedics, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, urology, gynaecology, vascular surgery (peripheral surgery), and pain medicine.
The hub will be located in the old Hewlett Packard building at the back of the business campus and got planning permission late last year.
It will include a main reception area, cafe retail area, admission suites, sub-waiting areas, treatment rooms, exam rooms, anaesthetic rooms, operating theatres, second-stage recovery rooms, discharge lounge, and all ancillary rooms required to facilitate the surgical service hub use.
The new hub is modelled on the very successful Reeves Centre at Tallaght University Hospital which has substantially reduced waiting times for day-case procedures.
Since opening in December 2020, it has led to a 17% reduction in the total Day Case Waiting List at Tallaght University Hospital and a 34% improvement in the achievement of the 12-week Sláintecare Access Target for day case procedures.
When fully operational, the Swords Surgical Hub is expected to deliver approximately 4,000 additional day case procedures, 5,800 additional minor operations, and 18,500 additional outpatient consultations annually.
Cllr Ian Carey said:
“It is encouraging to see this project continue at pace. It will be a huge addition to the town, especially considering how difficult it can be to get to Beaumont Hospital from Swords by public transport.
“This model of greater healthcare in the community and outside of major hospitals is something I support. This project is in stark contrast to the situation with the Primary Care Centre, which is stalling again due to issues with the developer. We need to deliver healthcare early, not waiting for conitions to get bad, and closer to communities, so I really want to see the primary care centre project move forward quickly.”
