The Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government Mr. Phil Hogan, TD visited St Luke's General Hospital to 'turn the sod' commencing a €13 million development.

Last year, the HSE welcomed an announcement by Minister Hogan that €13 million funding was available to proceed with this priority redevelopment. The construction project features a new Emergency Dept., Acute Medical Assessment Unit,Day Services Unit, Library/Education Centre and new hospital entrance and concourse.

As the area identified for the redevelopment in St. Luke's had been in use as a car park, enabling works have been underway since earlier this year to relocate such facilities and to provide new car parking capacity.

The next step in the project is the actual construction of the new building. This work is being carried out by Walls Construction Ltd. and is due for completion in June 2014.

Whilst at St. Luke's, the Minister also visited the X-Ray Department to see the new digital imaging system (NIMIS). The Minister also met staff at the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit and the Newborn Hearing Screening Service in the Maternity Department.

The new Emergency Department (ED) in St. Luke's will include a Waiting area, Triage Area, a three bay resuscitation area and separate paediatric resuscitation bay – all with X-ray facilities. There will also be an eight cubicle major treatment and examination area, a separate paediatric treatment area, a minor treatment area and a bereaved relatives room. Ancillary clinical support accommodation will be provided. The ED will be at ground floor level and have separate entrances for ambulant and ambulance patients. It will provide a state of the art environment for patients from the Carlow/Kilkenny area.

-- Advertisement --

The new Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) will be a 10 bed unit located adjacent to the ED so as to facilitate the effective operation of both departments. The principal areas of accommodation will be two four bay assessment areas, two isolation rooms, a treatment room and support accommodation. The AMAU will streamline the assessment of patients with emergency medical presentations while using shared facilities with the ED in line with the new Acute Medicine Programme.

The Day Services Unit (dedicated to the late Susie Long) will be located at first floor level and will provide accommodation for patients attending for: endoscopy (including colonoscopy), day surgery (including general surgery and gynaecology), medical investigations and treatment and dental surgery. The principle elements of the accommodation will include 24 trolley bays, two single treatment rooms, two procedure rooms, two endoscopy rooms, a 10 patient discharge area and support accommodation.

The new concourse and entrance will allow the development to be linked to the main hospital complex. This link will allow access to CT and other diagnostic imaging facilities and also be the route to admit patients to ward accommodation. The link at first floor level will be used to transfer patients attending for day procedures from the new Day Services Unit to the Theatre block.

The new library and education centre – part funded by UL, the RCSI and the HSE – will embrace all aspects of medical education and continuing professional development. It will have two tutorial rooms, two seminar rooms, extensive book and journal displays, up to 40 reading spaces, e- journal/book access, wi-fi, videoconferencing, meeting areas and tutor offices. The remit of library and education services is to provide access for doctors, nurses and professions allied to medicine (hospital and community) to a comprehensive range of evidence-based, up-to-date knowledge resources.

(CD)