New Developments at CUH
Cork University Hospital Cardiac Renal Centre Development
The Cardiac Renal Centre Development is progressing rapidly and due for completion in the latter part of 2009. This centralisation of services in line with international best practice will assist in the delivery of optimal and cost-effective patient care. Subject to approvals, the facility will be completed by end April 2010, followed by a 6 month equipping/commissioning period. (October 2010)
- Construction of €85m Cardiac / Renal Centre commenced in July 2007 for completion in 2009
- Centre will provide for the centralisation of both Cardiac and Renal services on site at Cork University Hospital
- Commissioning of new Centre may commence at the beginning of 2010 – dependent on co-operation of Mercy Hospital and South Infirmary Hospital with staff to transfer to CUH
- Services will transfer on the basis of both existing level of service and current level of staffing
- Cardiac / Renal Centre will provide a state of the art environment for the delivery of these services
Project will provide 93 ward beds, 10 ITU, 12 HDU, 8 CCU, 10 step-down, 8 specialist monitoring, 2 Operating Theatre Suites, 5 Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories with 10 recovery places, a Non-invasive Cardiology Unit, Rehabilitation facilities.
Renal Dialysis Unit will have 35 treatment places and 30 ward beds.
Cork University Hospital Cancer Centre
In line with the National Cancer Control Programme, Cork University Hospital is committed to responding to the continued priority that needs to be given to cancer policy advances as set out in the second National Cancer Strategy A Strategy forCancer Control in Ireland 2006, a vision of an Ireland that will have, by 2015 a system of cancer control to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality rates, relative to other EU countries.
The Cancer Centre within Cork University Hospital will work towards becoming part of a network of equitably accessible state-of-the-art cancer treatment facilities and will, as emphasised in the Cancer Strategy, develop an ethos that will allow Ireland to become an internationally recognised location for education and research into all aspects of cancer. Phase one will see the transfer of the Symptomatic Breast Service from Kerry General Hospital into CUH by October 2008 and the transfer of the service from South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital by the third quarter of 2009. The necessary staffing and facilities required to meet this transfer are presently being put in place within CUH.
In addition a programme to develop rapid Access clinics for Thoracic Lung and Prostate cancer will be progressed during 2009.
PET CT
A project team was set up in October 2007 to progress this development and the team have been meeting on a monthly basis to progress the commissioning and implementation of this exciting new service in CUH. The project is progressing according to programme. Building contractor started on site on the 20th October , with an expected project completion date of June 2009.
64 Slice Diagnostic CTScanner
CUH has procured a 64 slice diagnostic CT scanner, at a cost of €1.1million. This will be used to scan cancer patients, cardiac patients and neurology patients, The main advantage of the new scanner is the speed at which an examination can be completed giving better quality images of patient anatomy and pathology even in critically-ill patients. These images generate 3 dimensional images for treatment planning. While there are excellent quality scans generated by the 4 slice CT scanners, the 64 slice CT technology improves the clinicians’ ability to visualise blood vessels without the use of catheters and can provide useful imaging of the blood flow to the heart (the coronary arteries) limbs and brain non-invasively.