The UL Hospitals Group say work on the new 96-bed inpatient block at University Hospital Limerick is due to commence in October.
It follows the appointment of John Sisk and Sons as the successful contractor for the €90 million project.
Around half of the beds will be new inpatient beds, while the remainder will be replacement beds for existing facilities.
The Group says the works will take two years to complete.
Prof Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, said: “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been supported by government and the HSE in opening 98 inpatient beds and 10 new critical care beds at UHL. This new single-room capacity has dramatically improved our ability to isolate patients and to protect many of the most vulnerable.
“In spite of this progress, inpatient bed capacity at UHL and the Mid West region is not sufficient to meet increasing demand on our services. The national Health Service Capacity Review is clear on the challenge we face as a country in providing additional inpatient accommodation as our population grows and rapidly ages.
It is important that we move ahead with this project now. The appointment of an experienced contractor to develop a 96-bed block at UHL is great news for patients and staff. We expect that approximately half of these new beds will be additional bed stock while the remainder will replace beds in multi-occupancy nightingale wards in older parts of the hospital.”
“As well as improving the patient experience, completion of this project will help us to attract and retain staff, reduce the number of outbreaks and their associated costs and reduce the number of bed days lost as well as average length of stay,” Prof Cowan said.
