Galway clinic The first patients are being admitted to the new €100 million private hospital in Galway today where radiotherapy is due to begin before the end of the summer.
A number of patients will be admitted to the Galway Clinic at Doughiska today for minor elective surgical procedures tomorrow.
The developer of the clinic, Dr James Sheehan of Blackrock Medical Partners, said they would only open one 31-bed floor for the first few weeks and would open the rest of the wards according to demand.
He confirmed that all of the services would be up and running by the autumn and said the clinic hoped to start treating patients at the Radiotherapy Department over the summer after the physics planning for the linear accelerator has been completed.
The 101-bed clinic will provide facilities for a range of services including cancer, orthopaedic, cardiothoracic, general surgery and gastroenterology.
Dr Sheehan said leading practitioners already practising in the west would be complemented by medical colleagues returning from leading centres abroad to provide the most up-to-date treatment available.
"For the first time, the west coast has a comparable healthcare facility to the east coast. People might even travel from the east to the west for treatment. There has already been some interest shown," he said.
The new facility has been approved by VHI Healthcare, which means that Plan B and C members admitted to the clinic will be covered in full for semi-private and private medical admission with 90 per cent benefit payable for fixed price high-tech procedures, while members with Plans D or E will be covered in full.
The private hospital "which hopes to have a minimum of 20 per cent of its beds open to public patients and may exceed that target occupancy for public patients" will have seven operating theatres, 36 consulting suites, radiology, radiotherapy and all the facilities of a modern medical centre. Between 500 and 600 staff will be employed at the Galway Clinic when the facility is up and running.
The 60 consultants signed up to work at the new clinic include four full-time orthopaedic surgeons and a number of other full-time consultants not currently working in the public services, as well as a large representation of specialists from University College Hospital Galway.
The new Galway Clinic may look like a luxury hotel, but for Dr James Sheehan "the emphasis is not on gourmet diets or designer carpets", it's on providing the highest possible standard of medical care to the patient and their family.
As he explains: "When I set out to develop the Galway Clinic, I didn't want a fancy private hospital for an elite group, I wanted a hospital for the community.
"We tried to do everything here just a bit differently from what people were used to and looked at ways we could improve the delivery of healthcare to help people who are sick.
Having spent almost my whole life in healthcare, I am very conscious that when somebody is sick, it is a very stressful time for them and their families.
"That said, the Galway Clinic must be the most luxurious hospital facility in Ireland with its stunning atrium featuring three- storey floor-to-ceiling windows, marble flooring, plush turquoise carpet and elegant curved staircase.
The chief executive of the new hospital, Mary Fitzgerald, has moved from Chicago to take up the position at the Galway Clinic, while Athenry native Denis Coen has returned from Dublin after 22 years to take on the role of general manager.
Dr Olwyn McWeeney is the new medical director and Bernadette Teahan has been appointed matron.
