(May 29th 2024) Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) is one Ireland鈥檚 largest acute hospitals serving a rapidly growing population of over 700,000 people living in South and West Dublin - 13% of the total population of Ireland.听 听
The Hospital welcomes the announcement by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD this afternoon about the support for 196 of additional beds for the Hospital.
Commenting on the announcement, Lucy Nugent, Chief Executive of TUH said, 鈥淭he Hospital has been operating over capacity for many years. Demographic change has intensified the bed capacity gap, with increased inpatient demand coming from both an older and more complex patient cohorts. We are delighted with this announcement today which will future proof the Hospital and the care we can provide to our patients for years to come.鈥�
The Hospital has been working closely with the HSE on developing bed capacity with the proposed development being all single patients鈥� rooms. We are looking forward to progressing this build as quickly as possible on the shovel ready site already identified on the campus.听听
The benefits to this plan are multifaceted including
The Patient in our Community
-听听听听听听 Faster access to inpatient beds
-听听听听听听 Reduction in lengthy trolley waits within the ED and improved Patient Experience Times
-听听听听听听 Reduced waiting time for elective procedures and surgeries in the Hospital
-听听听听听听 Enhanced patient environment and dignity
-听听听听听听 Less internal transfers within the Hospital听
The Hospital
-听听听听听听 Significant improvement in infection control process and reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections for patients
-听听听听听听 The Hospital would operate at an improved and more appropriate level of inpatient occupancy
-听听听听听听 The Hospital could increase elective surgical activity, improve access for patients. Potentially this could mean up to 1,000 additional operations per year
-听听听听听听 Provide patients with greatly improved access to emergency and elective services
听Staff
-听听听听听听 More time for patient care 鈥� and dramatically reducing time accommodating patients
-听听听听听听 Enable staff to use their specialist skills to their fullest extent
-听听听听听听 New facility would be centrally accessible and reduce the long ward rounds of teams听 around the Hospital 鈥撎� more time for teaching and more time with the patient
-听听听听听听 Hospital moves more to quality care delivery and away from crisis management due to being at full or over full capacity
