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Facility to hold outpatient clinics in audiology, orthodontics, and ophthalmology
A new integrated healthcare hub in Waterford is set to open to patients in May.
The St Otteran’s complex will facilitate outpatient appointments across three consultant-led disciplines which were previously provided for in University Hospital Waterford.
Redevelopment of the St John’s building at St Otteran’s, John’s Hill, Waterford, which was previously a psychiatric hospital, cost €17 million. The new complex will house treatment facilities for audiology, orthodontics, and ophthalmology across two floors.
The new facility means that all outpatient activity in these three disciplines for Waterford will now take place in one centralised location.
Theatre-based, acute interventional and specialist operations in audiology, orthodontics, and ophthalmology will continue to be done at University Hospital Waterford.
Originally opened in 1835, St Otteran’s Hospital stopped operating as a psychiatric hospital in 2007. Planning for the Integrated Healthcare Hub was approved in 2022, and renovations began in 2023. A new two-story entrance was added, along with 42 parking spaces, disabled parking, landscaping, and accessibility improvements.
“This is the culmination of a very significant project for the HSE. In line with the national Sláintecare strategy, we have been integrating hospital and primary healthcare and enhancing community care,” said Dr Sinéad Reynolds, integrated healthcare area manager for Waterford and Wexford.
“Located, as it is, adjacent to the state-of-the-art Waterford Primary Care Centre in John’s Hill, there are also renovation plans for the remainder of the old main building at St Otteran’s to house outpatient and other medical treatment services currently delivered at University Hospital Waterford.”
The announcement comes as the new Bon Secours Hospital in Limerick prepares to open its doors this autumn.
The private facility in Ballysimon will create 300 new jobs in the region as part of a significant expansion of health services. A wide range of roles across several medical and non-medical disciplines will be recruited, with a particular focus on nursing and specialised medical teams.
The hospital will also expand its teams in radiology, pharmacy and laboratory sciences. Nurses will be hired for its five theatres and its surgical and endoscopy suites, while positions will be advertised for cardiac, neuro and respiratory physiologists, and staff for a new diagnostic unit for GP referrals.
“This new hospital is a major milestone for Bon Secours, and these new staff are vital to ensuring we can continue to provide the exceptional care that is our hallmark, said Jason Kenny, CEO of Bon Secours Hospital Limerick.
“This recruitment drive reflects our commitment to meeting the growing healthcare needs of the region and providing world-class services in the Mid-West.”