A new intensive care unit wing has been opened today at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin, which cost almost €20m to build.
The existing ICU unit at the hospital is 24 years old. Tallaght Hospital currently has nine ICU beds and is regularly over capacity.
The new wing will now add an extra 12 ICU beds, which are all in single rooms, bringing the total ICU bed capacity to 21.
Specialists at the hospital say that a shortage of ICU beds affects planned surgeries and, as a result, more ICU beds will ease pressures.
The extra ICU beds are to be supported by 146 whole time equivalent staff. e existing ICU in Tallaght is due to be refurbished later this year.
While that is happening, the existing nine ICU beds there will close but will reopen next January.
Before Covid-19, Ireland had around 255 ICU beds. Today, the HSE has 276 adult ICU beds open and staffed.
Reports in recent years called for a significant increase in national ICU capacity.
The plan is to bring the overall number to around 420 in a number of years.
At the official opening of the new wing today, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that nationally, ICU capacity is to be expanded to 326 by the end of this year, up from 255 at the start of 2020.
