The latest phase of the development of St James's Hospital in Dublin brings an additional 300 beds.St
There has been a hospital on the St James's site since the early seventeen hundreds.
The new extension includes a geriatric day centre, new casualty and psychiatric units, a new x-ray department, cardiac and intensive care units, and a specialised ward for burn patients. The latest phase of the development plan includes 300 extra beds bringing St James's total number of beds to 750. It is estimated that further developments at the hospital could cost another £30 million.
Professor Ian Howie, Chairman of St James's Hospital, acknowledges that it is still lacking some clinical facilities. Specifically, he would like to see a new bone marrow unit at the hospital and he is optimistic that the development programme will continue.
In the mid 1980s, a number of Dublin's older hospitals had shut down and St James's took over the services which they had provided. Since then, the number of patients at St James's has gone from 14,000 to 20,000 a year. The number of patients attending casualty departments, out-patient departments and day wards have doubled.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 17 January 1992. The reporter is George Devlin.
