By Irishexaminer.com,Niamh Griffin, Health Correspondent
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It was built by construction firm Sisk and is expected to treat more than 50,000 patients annually.
The €213m investment includes the first private cardiac cath-lab for the Mid-West region, covering Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, as well as neighbouring counties.
However, like other private hospitals, it will not offer a 24/7 emergency department.
It is expected to take public patients as well as private. Costs for any public patients whose care is outsourced by the HSE will be covered by the State, as is already the case for other Bon Secours hospitals.
The 99 in-patient beds are each in single en-suite rooms, a hospital spokeswoman said.
In addition, the hospital will have a 27-bed surgical unit and six beds for specialist eyecare, linked to an ophthalmology theatre.
A 20-bay unit will offer day treatment for elective patients.
The hospital plans to relocate treatment services from its city centre location to Ballysimon in stages, including surgery.
Over time, the hospital will also offer respiratory medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, dermatology, and advanced diagnostic imaging.
About 300 current staff will move in, with up to another 300 to be hired over time.
Impact on UHL
Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation assistant director of industrial relations Mary Fogarty has discussed the potential impact of these new jobs.
She predicted that under-pressure nurses working at University Hospital Limerick could be tempted by better working conditions at the new facility.
Uptake at UHL of the public-only consultants’ contract has been separately reported as extremely low when compared to other hospitals. It means any doctor still on the old contract will be able to work at this new hospital as well.
This reflects what happens in Tralee and Cork where consultants can work between the HSE hospitals and local Bon Secours sites.
First PET-CT scanner planned
A scan centre, run with Alliance Healthcare, will offer a PET-CT scanner in the coming months, the first for the region.
These help diagnose some cancers, as well as brain and heart disease.
In July, UHL said: “Plans are currently being developed for the provision of a PET scanner in the Mid-West. This will be subject to funding availability in 2025/2026.”
‘Proud milestone’
Alan Sharp, group CEO, Bon Secours Health System, described the new hospital as “another proud milestone” in the group’s expansion.
He expects it will create “meaningful employment opportunities” for the region.
“This new hospital embodies our mission to bring world-class, compassionate healthcare to the communities we serve,” he said.
The CEO of the new hospital, Jason Kenny, described the first appointments as a historic moment.
“From day one, patients will benefit from access to cutting-edge technology and expert care,” he said.
He also referred to the “strong and sustainable career opportunities” on offer.
