The news that the HSE is to reopen the tender process for the development of private hospitals in Galway and Letterkenny has been greeted with shock and disappointment by local opponents to the proposal.
Last week, Minister for Health Mary Harney confirmed that private hospitals would not be proceeding on the sites of the public hospitals at University College Hospital Galway and Letterkenny General Hospital because of the failure to find suitable partners in the procurement process.
However, the HSE has now stated that it will be retendering for the private hospitals at UCHG and Letterkenny General Hospital early next year.
Assistant director of the National Hospitals Office, Tom Finn, denied that the failure of the HSE to find suitable partners for the two projects was to do with the viability of the sites. He said there was a high level of interest in both sites from a number of consortiums.
Under the EU procurement process, the HSE cannot identify the companies that pulled out of the projects at UCHG and Letterkenny. However, it is understood that the shortlisted groups included the Mater Private, BMI Healthcare, Babcock and Brown and Eurocare International.
Last May, the HSE sought expressions of interest from the private sector to develop 10 co-located hospitals on the 10 sites. It received more than 50 proposals, including those for Galway and Letterkenny.
Plans for private hospitals are set to go ahead on eight other sites at the Mid-Western Regional in Limerick, Cork University Hospital, Waterford Regional Hospital, Sligo General Hospital, St James's Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, Connolly Hospital and Tallaght Hospital. The HSE West health forum has unanimously endorsed a motion by Independent Cllr Catherine Connolly against the development of a private hospital at UCHG and has called on the Government not to proceed with it.
Speaking yesterday, Cllr Connolly was shocked to hear that the Minister intended to reopen the tender process. "I think this is further evidence that the Government's policy is simply in ribbons. One minute we are getting a private hospital at UCHG, then we're not and now it's back again. The amount of beds lying empty at UCHG is a scandal. If the Government is serious about increasing beds, then they should open those beds and provide staff for them," she said.
She added that she could see no need for a private hospital at UCHG and that she would continue to oppose the proposal at health forum level.
Galway Fine Gael County Councillor Fidelma Healy Eames, another opponent of the co-location scheme, said the decision to retender for a private hospital at UCHG was totally against the wishes of the people of Galway.
A recent survey she carried out in the city revealed that 70 per cent of those surveyed felt a private hospital should not be built on the grounds of UCHG, and 80 per cent wanted to see current services expanded.
"I think it would be wise for the Minister to listen to what the people have to say. I spoke to Enda Kenny about the results of my survey and he welcomed the news that the development would not be going ahead as we were told last week," stated Cllr Healy Eames.
