Frustration expressed over delays to planned Sligo’s surgical hub and ambulance station

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Speaking at this week’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum, West/North West, Cllr Declan Bree expressed his frustration when he asked for an update in relation to the proposed new surgical hub and Ambulance Station in Sligo.

He was informed that the “Design team for the Surgical Hub and Ambulance Station will be appointed in April.”

Cllr Bree raised the issue of the proposed new Surgical Hub, the refurbishment of Markievicz House and the proposed new Sligo ambulance base and sought updates on each project.

Cllr Bree claimed that Government Ministers and TD’s in the Sligo/Leitrim constituency, “Were all very vocal recently welcoming major HSE capital projects for the constituency. Included in the list of projects were the proposed new Surgical Hub for Sligo University Hospital, the proposed new Ambulance Station to be constructed at Summerhill, Maugheraboy and the refurbishment of the original Markievicz House building.

“The concept behind the establishment of a Surgical Hub at Sligo University Hospital is to relocate a significant number of day-case procedures to these specialised centres. This will allow the hospital to focus on people on waiting lists in other areas.

“The intention is to cut waiting times for high volume procedures such as urology, ear, nose and throat, orthopaedic, gynaecology, vascular and general surgery.

“Currently there are thousands of people on waiting lists for treatment in Sligo University Hospital. Last year the hospital was one of the most overcrowded facilities in the country. The current waiting lists and overcrowding is not a new phenomenon; Sligo has consistently been in the top four or five overcrowded hospitals in the country.

“However, according to the report we have received today the design team has not yet been appointed to even commence the preliminary design phase for the new Surgical Hub.

“Likewise, we also need to see the construction of the proposed new National Ambulance Service base planned for Summerhill in Sligo. But again we learn that a design team has not yet been appointed and we are told that it will be appointed in April 2026.

“However, we should remember that we were told by Government representatives in Sligo as far back as November 2024 that the new Ambulance Service base would go to design stage in early 2025!

“With regard to Markievicz House we were told at a meeting of this Forum back in May of 2022 that the HSE was aware of the importance of Markievicz House building and the potential role it could play in future health service delivery.

“We were told back then that the next step in the process was to complete a feasibility study to sense check the extent of potential services that might be accommodated in Markievicz House and the costs involved as an element of the HSE’s overall accommodation strategy. We were told it was intended to advance the feasibility study within months.

“However, today we learn that funding has not yet been approved to even proceed with a Design Team appointment. It is now obvious from the report we have now received that we are not to going to see any of these projects going to construction in the current year.

“All I can say at this stage is that the general public and people in the Sligo/Leitrim constituency are, at this stage, sick and tired of Government announcements and promises that are repeated again and again but are not being delivered upon.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.