Design Team Appointed for 300-Bed University Hospital Galway Redevelopment
The first two phases of an ambitious redevelopment plan for University Hospital Galway (UHG) has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of a Design Team to develop two new ward blocks at the hospital.
Following an open competition, Perkins & Will together with Cullen Payne Architects have been appointed as Architects to lead an Integrated Design Team through all stages of the design and delivery of the first two major projects on the UHG campus.
The Development Control plan (DCP) for UHG has identified a critical need to increase bed capacity in order to meet the current and future healthcare needs of communities across Galway and the wider West and North West region. The delivery of 300 new beds will alleviate overcrowding, address capacity deficits and reduce the amount of time people are waiting for care.
The development of ward blocks A and B, each comprising 150 beds, are the first two phases of a major capital programme to increase capacity and improve patient experience at the region’s only model 4 hospital.
A number of phased projects of significant scale are planned in addition to the two ward blocks including; a new ED, critical care unit, new surgical theatres, a cancer centre, medical laboratory, women and children’s unit and a new, permanent helipad which is critical to the functioning of UHG as a Model 4 tertiary hospital.
In addition to providing additional inpatient bed capacity, Ward Block A will include a shell and core level for a future Diagnostics Suite and Ward Block B will include a multi-level shell and core for a future Maternity Unit. A detailed, costed feasibility study for each of these fit-out projects will be developed at the early design stage of each building.
The new ward Block A will be situated between the current Outpatients Department and the Nurse’s Home in close proximity to the Emergency Department. Block B will be located to the rear of the hospital, near the new radiation oncology building. Both buildings will be connected to the main hospital across a number of floors.
Considerable enabling works are required to clear sites in advance of construction and separate, dedicated Design Teams are already appointed and proceeding with the design and procurement of these works. The works include the relocation of underground services, decanting of existing services and demolition of substandard, low rise buildings.
Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer, HSE West and North West said, “The Development Control Plan for UHG represents the largest ever investment in healthcare infrastructure in the West and North West region and I am delighted to see these first two projects progress to design stage. The development of ward blocks A and B are a critical component of the plan to reform healthcare for our communities. The 300 new beds will enable UHG to provide better, safer and more timely care; will significantly reduce waiting times for patients and will alleviate the consistent capacity pressures which the hospital experiences.”
Chris Kane, UHG Hospital Manager said; “UHG is one of the busiest hospitals in the country and attendances continue to grow. At present, meeting our Patient Experience Time targets is a challenge and during periods of high demand, our patients can face unacceptably long wait times. This is not the standard of care we strive for.
“The need for additional inpatient beds has been identified in the Government’s Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan and the delivery of 300 new beds is an absolute priority to reduce overcrowding and long wait times. Over the next few months, the Design Team will be engaging with staff and wider stakeholders as the detailed design for these two new buildings take shape.
“User groups are being established to assist the Design Team develop the separate components for each Block in detail and these interdisciplinary groups will meet frequently until the designs are completed. The Galway University Hospital Capital Programme Oversight Board will continue to provide overall governance of the design and procurement process.”
Niall Colleary, Assistant National Director, HSE Capital and Estates concluded: “Approval to proceed with these two major projects on the UHG campus is a vote of confidence in the extensive work recently carried out by the project team in conjunction with the Department of Health to prepare a robust, long-term Development Control Plan for the campus.
“We are delighted to have completed the appointment of a design team, who have considerable national and international experience in large-scale acute healthcare projects, to assist with delivery of these two key projects. Each of these blocks constitute a Major Infrastructure Project as described in the current Infrastructural Guidelines, and we look forward to progressing both projects efficiently to the next approval gate (Preliminary Business Case Submission), as quickly as possible.”