“The cancellation of elective surgery at CUH this week again shows that Cork needs a new hospital. The three existing hospitals are under pressure and don’t have the space to expand. We have a growing and young population and we need to make sure our hospitals are in a position to meet our community’s needs over the decades to come. To do this developing a new hospital for Cork must be prioritised.

As chairperson of the Oireachtas Health Committee I organised a specific meeting to consider how a new hospital can improve the delivery of healthcare in Cork. This new elective hospital would allow for the expansion of all diagnostic services as appropriate. It would be developed in a modular fashion and it would work closely with, and complementary to, CUH. Both SIVUH and MUH are committed to a new hospital and services at the new hospital and it would be an ideal location for a new dental hospital.

“I have already met with the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, to discuss this plan, making clear to him that it is something that must be developed. The HSE are working on developing the proposal, but we need to keep up the pressure to make sure that this project is prioritised.