13 April 2023
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Cork University Hospital (CUH) are set to commence advance works on the construction of the Pediatric Care Building and Helipad projects in the northern section of the CUH campus as part of the HSE’s investment in the development and enhancement of quality healthcare at the hospital. Both projects have been separately granted planning permission by Cork City Council.
The necessary work that will take place will include the realignment of the existing northern campus road, the undergrounding of the existing overhead power line along the northern boundary of the hospital and the removal of existing trees and shrubs along the northern boundary embankment, which were planted in the 1980s. The tree removal works will be undertaken by a specialist tree care company in full compliance with health and safety legislation, with prior inspection of a nesting bird and bat survey by qualified ecologist. The retained hedgerow along the northern boundary of the hospital will be retained and protected during the works.
The tree removal works will be then followed by the rerouting and undergrounding of the overhead powerline. Once safely underground, works will progress to the realignment of the campus road with construction of a new retaining wall by the spring 2024. The Helipad works in their entirety should be completed by the end of 2023.
The lands north of the access road will be landscaped and extensively planted with a mixture of evergreen or deciduous hedge and tree planting in the next available planting season.
David Donegan, CEO of Cork University Hospital, said: “This is a welcome development in the progress of the two projects. It is necessary work to ensure that CUH can provide better specialist care to the patients across south of Ireland who use our services, to centralise paediatric hospital care in Cork, as well as to provide much quicker access for patients being airlifted into and out of Cork in an emergency.”
About the Helipad: Once completed the new Helicopter pad at Cork University Hospital (CUH) will support all types of helicopter, and serve CUH as the Level 1 Trauma Centre for the South of Ireland, facilitate Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) inter-hospital transfers for a range of specialties, improve access to our 24/7 Cardiac Cath Lab and our 24/7 Stroke Thrombectomy Service as well as support Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations.
About the Pediatric Care Building
When completed the Pediatric Care Building will provide centralised children’s services for cork city and enhanced supra-regional services to the south of Ireland, including new inpatient wards with single rooms and parent sleeping facilities; high dependency rooms; palliative/end of life care rooms; disability access rooms; pediatric operating theatres; pediatric radiology space; a new school; children’s play/recreation facilities; a haematology/oncology for children with cancers.
Pediatric specialties within the new facility will include general pediatrics, respiratory, allergy, cardiology, neurology, neurodisability, diabetes, endocrinology, ENT, surgery, community pediatrics, pediatric assessment unit/ambulatory care.
It is estimated that over 6,000 children per year will be admitted to the new in-patient wards, which will bring together all services currently delivered at the Mercy University Hospital and the South Infirmary.