More than 900 beds will be provided in the first six co-located private hospitals to be built on public hospital sites across the State, the Health Service Executive said yesterday.
It made the announcement after its board approved the awarding of tenders to a number of private consortiums to build the co-located hospitals. They are due to deliver 914 inpatient beds, significantly more than expected.
The six new hospitals are to be located in the grounds of St James's Hospital, Dublin (195 beds); Beaumont Hospital, Dublin (170 beds); Cork University Hospital (175 beds); Waterford Regional Hospital (140 beds); the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick (138 beds); and Sligo General Hospital (96 beds).
As the HSE made its announcement, the decision to proceed with the first phase of the controversial co-located hospitals initiative was being condemned at an Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference in Bundoran.
The Irish Nurses' Organisation and Siptu warned that co-located hospitals would seek to "cherry-pick" patients who were easier to treat. The Irish Medical Organisation said if co-location went ahead, the Government should acquire part-ownership of hospitals developed on State lands.
VHI chief executive Vincent Sheridan warned of over-capacity in the private hospital sector if the co-located hospitals went ahead.
However, rival health insurer Vivas welcomed the awarding of tenders for the construction of the hospitals. But its chief executive, Oliver Tattan, said the commercial viability of the new hospitals would be under threat if all health insurers did not commit to provide cover to members who received care in the new hospitals.
The land on which the co-located hospitals are to be built will be leased by developers from the State. The HSE would not say how much it would receive for leasing the lands. It stressed the public hospitals would receive a percentage of any profits from the co-located private facility as well as a share of profits from other non-core activities such as car parking.
The consortiums awarded tenders to build the private hospitals will have to apply for planning permission. The HSE estimates it will take three years to build the hospitals once permission is granted.
The Beacon Medical Group was awarded the tender to build three of the hospitals - at Beaumont, Cork, and Limerick. Mount Carmel Medical will build the one in Sligo; Synchrony/Capio Health will build the private hospital at St James's campus; and the Bon Secours Group won the Waterford tender.