HSE Welcomes Significant Investment to Enhance and Expand Healthcare Services Across Galway and Roscommon

HSE West and North West is pleased to announce significant progress in the delivery of major capital projects across Galway and Roscommon under the HSE’s Building and Equipment Capital Programme 2026. The HSE welcomes significant investment and commitment to infrastructure in the Galway, Roscommon area as part of this plan.

This investment will enhance healthcare infrastructure, expand capacity, and modernise facilities directly benefiting patients, families, and frontline staff throughout the region.

A number of key transformative projects across Galway and Roscommon are advancing, strengthening both hospital and community-based services and ensuring care is delivered more efficiently and closer to home, these include:

• Construction will complete on the new Surgical Hub at Merlin Park University Hospital, significantly expanding elective day-case capacity. Once fully operational, the hub will increase access to planned procedures, reduce waiting times, and help protect scheduled care from emergency pressures.
• Phase 2 of new Outpatients Department at Merlin Park University Hospital to provide additional consulting rooms, associated treatment rooms, and other associated facilities.
• Planning permission will be submitted for a new Elective Hospital in Galway. This will provide dedicated capacity for high-volume, low-acuity procedures, ensuring long-term sustainability of elective care services for the West.
• Progressing the Development Control Plan for University Hospital Galway (UHG) campus, which includes phased development of several major infrastructure projects will be constructed over a number of phases. Two new bed blocks, which will deliver 300 beds, will form the first phase of the development on the UHG campus.
• Appraisal of a new Cancer Care Centre at University Hospital Galway (UHG) is included in the HSE’s Capital Plan 2026.
• Plans for the new Helipad at University Hospital Galway will progress in 2026.
• A significant priority project at Portiuncula University Hospital is the expansion of the Emergency Department. The planned ED expansion will increase the number of treatment bays, enhancing the hospital’s ability to respond to rising emergency attendances and improving overall patient flow.
• Appraisal of Galway Injury Unit at Merlin Park is included as a proposed project in the HSE’s Capital Plan 2026.
• Design Feasibility of New Medical Laboratory building to house all existing laboratory services in one at University Hospital Galway is included in the HSE’s Capital Plan 2026.
• Construction of 60 bed Community Nursing Unit at Merlin Park is at an advanced stage of development.
• Construction will commence on the Enhanced Community Care Hub in Knocknacarra, Galway City, a key investment in primary and community services in Galway involves the purchase and fit-out of Block A, Galway West Business Park, Knocknacarra, to deliver a new Enhanced Community Care (ECC) facility for the west of the city. This project will see the acquisition of Block A and its full internal clinical fit-out to modern healthcare standards, allowing the building to be transformed into a fully operational community healthcare hub. This investment will strengthen community-based services, supporting people to receive care closer to home and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.
• Design phase of the new 40-bed Community Nursing Unit in Clifden alongside the refurbishment of existing facilities to support a full range of services.
• Purchase and development of Residential Care Willow Field in Galway involving the purchase and comprehensive renovation transforming it into a modern residential care facility, with completion scheduled for 2026.
• Detailed design phase of phase two of the Research Hybrid Cardiac Cath Lab, the project is a collaborative initiative co-funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and University of Galway, aimed at advancing cardiac research and clinical capabilities.
• Investment will continue in modernising ambulance infrastructure and fleet capacity, including ongoing development at Galway Ambulance Station, supporting faster response times and improved emergency care delivery across urban and rural communities.
• A new Ambulance Base in Ballinasloe is included as a proposed project in the HSE’s Capital Plan 2026.
• Detailed design progression replacement of Central Sterile Services Decontamination (CSSD) Unit in Portiuncula University Hospital for Reusable Invasive Medical Devices. This will also provide a service for Roscommon University Hospital.
• Progression of DCP for Roscommon University Hospital which will incorporate design Rehabilitation Unit.
• A new Adult Acute Mental Health Unit in Roscommon is included as a proposed project in the HSE’s Capital Plan 2026.
• Replacement of the existing Community Nursing Unit (CNU) at Sacred Heart Hospital currently under construction, aimed at enhancing care for older persons in the region. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to modernize healthcare facilities and improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of long-term care for older adults.

Ann Cosgrove, Healthcare Area Manager, Galway and Roscommon welcomed the announcement saying: “The delivery of these significant capital projects will strengthen our capacity to provide essential services and improve timely access to care for our expanding population. The clear separation of acute and non-acute services will enhance operational efficiency, streamline patient pathways, and ultimately deliver a higher standard of care for those we serve.”
“We are building not only new infrastructure, but a stronger, more resilient health service that will serve our communities for decades to come.”