Public consultation on development plans for University Hospital Galway reveals broad public support for the landmark project

A public consultation recently held by University Hospital Galway (UHG) indicates strong public support for an ambitious development plan at the region’s only model 4 hospital.

UHG is in the process of redesigning and expanding the hospital campus to provide better patient care and improve waiting times for patients both in Galway and right across the west and north west. This plan (Development Control Plan) represents the largest ever investment in healthcare infrastructure in the region. This is long-term programme of work which sets out a phased expansion and reform of the hospital up to the year 2045. Over time, the project will deliver 300 additional inpatient beds alongside the construction of a new ED, critical care unit, new surgical theatres, a cancer centre, laboratory, a women and children’s block and a new permanent helipad. 

Collaboration and engagement with local communities is central to the successful delivery of this plan and the project team in UHG have recently completed an extensive public consultation programme. The purpose of the consultation was to present the Development Control Plan to local communities, businesses and public representatives and encourage all interested stakeholders to have their say on the future of the hospital, including the location of the helipad.

The consultation took place over a number of weeks with two community drop-in days taking place alongside a number of targeted briefings for staff and public representatives. The project team met with 247 people throughout these events which were a valuable opportunity for dialogue, questions, and detailed feedback.

In addition to these sessions, 157 feedback submissions were received online; 148 responses via a survey tool and nine email responses.

The post consultation report contains a number of key findings:

• There was a high level of overall support for the proposed plan: 45% were very supportive, 24% somewhat supportive, 13% neutral, 7% somewhat unsupportive, and about 5% were unsupportive.
• Analysis of 135 comments from the consultation indicated strong overall support for hospital development, driven by a shared perception that the existing facilities were outdated and inadequate for the growing population.
• Priority areas for improvement were identified as; emergency department capacity, cited in 115 comments, and parking and accessibility, mentioned in 104 comments. Other areas highlighted included critical care services, outpatient services and patient accommodation and comfort.
• The helipad was widely acknowledged as clinically necessary, a strong majority (65.7%) expressed no objection to the preferred location and were broadly supportive of the helipad being located close to critical care functions. However, concerns were raised in relation to the potential loss of green spaces and community amenity, access and placement, governance and compliance and safety, noise and environment.
• Respondents emphasised that the plan must address several critical issues: emergency department overcrowding, mental health services, parking and access, and the helipad’s impact on the local community.

Overall, the consultation demonstrated strong engagement and broad support for the development plans, while identifying key areas for refinement to ensure the project delivers an inclusive, efficient, and community-focused hospital for the future.

Chris Kane, Hospital Manager said; “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to come along to the consultation sessions and all those who shared their views through the online survey. We are investing in this hospital for the benefit of our communities and it is so important that the same communities are involved in the planning and design process. It was extremely helpful for us as a project team to hear directly from the public about their views, questions or concerns and this feedback will inform the next stages of the project. It is encouraging to know there is strong public support to modernise and enhance the hospital and we are committed to continued engagement with all stakeholders as we move forward.”

Ann Cosgrove, Integrated Healthcare Area Manager for HSE Galway and Roscommon said; “The development of both UHG and Merlin Park sites are essential to address several healthcare challenges in our region including future demands. In line with the Masterplan for major capital development across both UHG and Merlin Park campus, high volume, low complexity cases such as elective, day case procedures and outpatient services will move to Merlin Park while complex acute care, oncology, maternity and paediatric inpatient care will remain in UHG. Separating acute and non-acute services will greatly improve efficiency and ultimately better serve our patients.

“The new surgical hub and elective treatment centre which are underway in Merlin Park are crucial developments which will change the way in which day cases, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans and outpatient services can be better arranged across the region, ensuring greater capacity in the future and helping to address waiting times.

“Combined, these major capital projects will deliver state-of-the-art clinical facilities and transform the care we provide to patients.”

-ENDS-

The report is available at the following links:

Post consultation report on development plans at UHG 202/2026
Achoimre Fheidhmeach: Tuarascáil Iarchomhairliúcháin ar phleananna forbartha Ospidéal na hOllscoile Gaillimh 2025/2026

Notes:

UHG Campus Developments

A new Development Control Plan (DCP) for University Hospital Galway, as well as an associated Strategic Assessment Review (SAR) has been completed and is approved by the HSE Board. The DCP and SAR were subsequently submitted to the Department of Health for review in mid 2025. Positive feedback has been received from the Department and a solid base from which to procure individual projects is now in place.

Individual projects will now proceed on a phased basis as set out in the DCP. The projects required include both considerable enabling and decanting works to clear and de-risk sites for major projects, and the subsequent delivery of the major projects themselves.

Decanting of outpatient services from UHG to the Merlin Park Campus is ongoing, as are enabling works to clear the site for the first major project (Ward Block A). A Design Team Framework has been established to proceed with enabling works in other locations on the campus and design of these projects will commence in Q1 2026.

The construction of a new helipad on a combination of Local Authority and HSE lands is a key enabling project for the campus and discussions are underway with the Local Authority around the purchase of the required lands for this project.

Tenders have been returned for a Major Projects Design Team Framework, these are being reviewed at present and it is intended to establish this framework in Q1 2026. The Department of Health have approved the initiation of the first two Major Projects identified in the DCP and design teams from the new Framework will be appointed to these two Major Projects in Q2 2026.

These projects will be Ward Block A delivering 150 new acute beds over one floor of radiology services, and Ward Block B, which will deliver a further 150 beds over a multi-storey shell and core unit to contain other services including inpatient maternity services. It is intended to initiate the design of these Ward blocks in Q2 of 2026 and to complete the sketch design stage and submit separate Preliminary Business Cases for each block by the end of this year. A Business Consultant has been procured to assist with this work. The surgical hub in MPUH is currently at an advanced stage of construction and is due to become operational on a phased basis later this year, providing four operating theatres and two minor-op procedure rooms when fully commissioned.

The HSE’s appointed design team are progressing with the design for the Elective Hospital in Galway, and with the aim of lodging a planning application later this year.

Merlin Park Campus Developments

• HSE Capital and Estates are currently in the process of procuring a Design Team for delivery of the MPUH Development Control Plan.
• A number of projects are progressing such as the Surgical Hub and design of the planned Elective Treatment Centre. Outpatients Phase 2 is in the planning and design phase.
• The surgical hub in Merlin Park is currently at an advanced stage of construction and is due to become operational on a phased basis later this year, providing four operating theatres and two minor-op procedure rooms when fully commissioned.