New injuries unit will now not open until 2027
St Dympna's Hospital
THE opening of the Carlow Minor Injuries Unit has been delayed by a year as enabling works and moving staff is taking longer than originally expected, a HSE spokesperson has said.
“Construction was expected to be completed on the Carlow Injury Unit in Q1 of this year. It is now expected to be completed in February/March 2027, with operations to begin shortly afterwards,” Craig Doyle, the acting assistant national director for HSE capital and estates in Dublin and the south-east, told September’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum.
On 9 February, the HSE Dublin and South-East released a statement saying that it planned to have the unit in operation “by the end of this year”.
The unit will be on the ground floor of St Dympna’s Hospital, with offices and a staff training area. It will be under the auspices of St Luke’s General Hospital and will treat minor injuries such as broken bones, minor burns, small abscesses and boils, objects stuck in the eyes and head injuries, where the patient did not lose consciousness or vomit.
According to Mr Doyle: “There were a number of delays encountered since the original estimation. The enabling works to Sacred Heart Hospital to provide new accommodation for the relocation of staff for the proposed area for the Carlow Injuries Unit and for additional day services took longer than expected. This was due to additional works being identified, including the remedial works to the roof. This delayed the vacating of the Carlow Injuries Unit area.
“A contractor commenced work on the site last month and work is progressing well. The HSE is assured that the revised completion date of construction of Q1 2027 will be achieved.”
Mr Doyle’s statement was in response to a question from cllr Fergal Browne, who condemned the handling of the project.
“It’s taken far too long for a very simple operation to be in place. It is getting outrageous. It has missed loads of deadlines and has been in the pipeline for a long number of years. I am certainly not impressed,” cllr Browne said.
Cllr Browne said the Carlow Injuries Unit was first suggested 20 years ago.
“It is badly needed in the Carlow area. It’s only refurbing an existing room; it is not even a new building,” cllr Browne said. “It will make a big difference, especially as the town has no hospital and we do need those kinds of facilities.”
Cllr Browne was re-elected vice-chairperson of the HSE Regional Forum at September’s meeting.
