Progress on new Beaumont A&E too slow, says local TD 

A NORTHSIDE TD has called for work on a new Accident & Emergency (A&E) department at Beaumont Hospital to be expedited.

Dublin Bay North TD Tommy Broughan (Ind) made the call after learning from the Health Service Executive (HSE) that construction work on the long-awaited facility will not begin until 2021. 

In a statement, the HSE told Deputy Broughan: “Funding has been included in the Capital Plan 2018 to progress to the design phase of the new A&E department at Beaumont Hospital.

“The project has been approved to appoint a design team and this design team will review a number of option appraisals carried out to determine the optimal location for the A&E department on the campus.

“On selection of this location, design work will commence on the project. It is anticipated that construction will commence in 2021.” 

Deputy Broughan said that while this progress is welcome it is still too slow.

“For the last number of years, I have consistently been asking the Ministers for Health and the HSE for confirmation of a timeline for when a new Accident and Emergency Department will be built and operational at Beaumont Hospital,” he said. 

“The A&E at Beaumont Hospital is one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the country and is in urgent need of upgrade and refurbishment.”

Deputy Broughan said it’s clear that the crisis in the health service is worsening judging by the huge number of people on hospital trollies in recent weeks.

“I am again urging for work to be expedited and continued in a time-effective manner to ensure that yearly progress is made and a new, fit-for-purpose A&E at Beaumont is operational as soon as possible,” he said.   

“Indeed, the HSE should really be aiming to complete construction by 2021. 

“On February 26, I attended the long-awaited official opening of the Primary Care Centre in Kilmore, Coolock.  

“It looks set to be a top class facility and an upgraded and improved facility is now long overdue at Beaumont Hospital.  

“We have extremely dedicated and hardworking health professionals working in a space that is not sufficient for demand.”

Deputy Broughan added: “I welcome news that design work should hopefully begin soon but would like to see an earlier commencement of construction, ideally by the end of 2019.”

Separately, Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell (FG) has called on the Government to deliver investment in healthcare in Swords, and provide a Primary Care Centre to serve residents’ needs. 

“We are all aware that the population in Swords is growing rapidly, and will continue to increase in the coming years,” he said. 

“In order to cater for the needs of residents in Swords, and the future growth of the town, it is vital that the necessary infrastructure is provided to our local community as a matter of urgency.”