A date has been set for the merger of two hospitals in Tipperary, the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed this morning.
Services offered by Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel are to relocate to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel by January 12th.
The move will end the need for patients requiring extensive care to be transferred between the two hospitals.
Last year 50 patients who underwent medical treatment at South Tipperary General had to be transferred to Our Lady's in Cashel for surgery, while other patients being treated in Cashel had to be brought in the opposite direction for further care.
Under the new scheme, a wider range of services will be available at a single location.
The HSE chief executive, Professor Drumm, said the move would "greatly improve the quality of care provided to the community in and around south Tipperary".
The grounds of Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel will house a new Alzheimer's unit, a supervised community residence, and a day-care centre for people with physical disabilities.
From early next year, the redevelopment of the Cashel campus will begin, with plans for a range community health services, including a GP assessment and rehabilitation unit, an outpatient department, a palliative care unit and a day hospital for older people.