The Board of the Eastern Regional Health Authority has approved a €35 million plan for the development of day surgery and day medicine in North Dublin.
The plan is to provide increased capacity for people requiring elective surgery throughout the Eastern Region, having the capacity to free up 50 acute beds.
A feasibility study was used to establish the best way to meet the needs of the acute hospital system up to the year 2011.
The additional capital costs of these developments is estimated at €30 to 35 million and additional revenue costs from €0.5 million in 2003, rising to €3.4 million in 2011 at current costs.
The plan suggests that overall management of day case procedures should be separated from inpatient and emergency work.
Medical day procedures should continue to be provided at the three hospitals currently providing them.
Cappagh Hospital will provide all day case and elective orthopaedic surgery in the Northern area in its three additional operating theatres.
Pending the capital developments planned at the Mater Hospital, opthalmology day cases will transfer to James Connolly Memorial Hospital.
In order to improve efficiency, pre-assessment of day patients is essential and services should be protocol-driven.
Beaumont Hospital is to relocate and enlarge its day case ward and provide a purpose-built day unit.
The Mater Hospital will proceed with existing strategy to redevelop an old part of the hospital as a dedicated day unit.