Plans for two new hospitals in Cork will mean the closure of some existing health services in the city.
A sub committee has published a report to advise the Comhairle na nOspidéal on plans for hospital care in the region to cater for a growing population.
A new regional hospital is under construction at Wilton costing £7 million and is due for completion in 1978. This hospital upon completion will have 750 beds and includes a teaching facility has been generally welcomed by the medical profession. The proposal for a second new hospital to be built in the north east of Cork city has brought some criticism from voluntary groups. The plan for this second hospital include the provision of a further 700 beds by 1990 but this will mean the closures of three other facilities. The North Infirmary, South Infirmary and Victoria Hospital have been earmarked as unsuitable for further development. Services from these existing hospitals will be removed in two phases. The Voluntary Hospitals Board will oversee the transfers.
Vincent O'Connell, chairman of the Cork Hospitals Board, was a member of the committee which drew up the report outlining plans for the city hospital services. Vincent O'Connell envisages vast positive changes ahead for many of the institutions. Money needs to be put in place to develop community care services that are patient led.
The new hospital services will be highly sophisticated and highly expensive.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 5 September 1974. The reporter is Tom MacSweeney.
