Vol. 558 No. 4
329 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the expenditure by his Department on capital works for phase 2B of Mullingar General Hospital in 2002; the projected expenditure on this project in each of the next three years; the additional hospital facilities to be provided in this project; the projected timeframe for the bringing on stream of additional beds at this hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24816/02]
Approval for the appointment of a design team for the preparation of a development control plan for the whole hospital development was granted in August 2001. As the approval increased the scope of the phase 2B project to include indicative accommodation proposed in the design brief for construction in phases subsequent to 2B, the board's project team was requested to immediately review the design brief to reflect procurement of all phases under a single building con tract. The preparation of the revised design brief is at an advanced stage and should be formally submitted to the Department in the near future.
Funding of €600,000 has been approved to progress the preparation of the development control plan in 2002. To date, funding has not been drawn down by the Midland Health Board from my Department.
The additional hospital facilities to be provided in this phase 2B project are included in new accommodation, upgraded or refurbished accommodation and completion of shelled out phase 2A accommodation. The design brief requires that all elements of the project are designed, constructed and equipped to current best practice standards. The brief also requires that provision be allowed for future expansion of departments with minimal disruption to the functioning hospital.
The phase 2B development will include the following: general medical beds; general surgical beds; day surgery department; day service-other non-surgical; operating department; pathology department; acute psychiatric department; child and adolescent psychiatric department; medical assessment unit; medicine for the elderly/rehabilitation department including day hospital; intensive care unit; coronary care unit; occupational therapy department; conference facilities; staff accommodation change-rest on call; catering facilities; administration facilities.
Most of the additional beds at the hospital would be provided in the existing shelled out accommodation. The Midland Health Board has advised, that while the design process is at an early stage, completion of the existing shelled out ward accommodation is their priority in the project procurement process and the design team is being instructed to examine options which could allow a fastrack delivery of that element of the overall project.
The projected expenditure for 2003 is €1 million approximately. Projected expenditure for the following two years is dependant on design solutions proposed by the design team in the development control plan DCP particularly in relation to the programme for completion of the shelled out accommodation. The Midand Health Board has advised that the DCP should be complete in spring 2003 and at that point it will be feasible to estimate the time frame for bringing on stream the additional beds.
