Pressure on to extend Portiuncula

Pressure is mounting on the Department of Health and the HSE to progress the new 50 bed extension to Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.

And, significantly, it has been suggested that the hospital could well see a further 50 beds being added as part of the development.

There is some speculation that this may be the cause of the delay in the construction of the new wing at Portiuncula.

The announcement of the 50 bed extension dates all the way back to 2013 when it was first mooted. There was a further announcement in 2016 and still nothing happened.

Recently concerns have been expressed about the project going ahead at all – there was even speculation that the €4.5 million allocated for the extension would be spent in Galway city and not in Portiuncula

But Minister Denis Naughten rubbished this suggestion and said that the 50 bed extension was part of the National Development Plan but added that it was now a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’.

It does not mean that 50 additional bedrooms will be provided at the hospital. When these are built and completed, the existing wards will be renovated with three-bed wards being turned into two-bed with en-suite facilities being provided.

Last month there was a review of maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital and the extension was referred to when a senior HSE official mentioned that it was possible that 100 new rooms could be provided.

There were several public representatives present at the time and some said that they were willing to wait on the development to commence if this proved to be the case.

The development will consist of a new two-storey block that will also include ancillary accommodation, linking routes to the hospital and a new service road. The new accommodation will consist of 50 single bed rooms with en-suite facilities.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.