The Irish government has initiated enabling works to support the relocation of National Maternity Hospital (NMH) in Dublin to the St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) campus at Elm Park.
These enabling works, anticipated to conclude in the first half of 2025, includes upgrades to existing electrical systems, boilers and transformers on the campus.
Besides, the works will accommodate a medical records building, a 13-bed neurology ward, along with a kitchen and canteen.
Clancy Construction was chosen to deliver these works after a tender process earlier in 2023.
Initial site preparations for the project began in 2018.
The first phase of procurement for main construction started in September 2023, after the government's clearance in July. This process is expected to last 18 months.
Following the selection of a tenderer, the final business case will be revised with the tender results and resubmitted to the government for approval to award the main works contracts.
Ireland Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: “I was pleased to update Cabinet colleagues today that contractors have moved on site for further essential enabling works for the new National Maternity Hospital and the wider resilience and sustainability of the St Vincent’s University Hospital campus at Elm Park.
“These enabling works will deliver new boilers and upgrades to electrical systems on the campus, as well as new buildings to accommodate a neurology ward, medical records, and a staff canteen.
“Those facilities are currently on the footprint of where the new NMH will be located. To save time and, ultimately money, we are doing these works at the same time as the public procurement process for the main works contractors who will deliver the new hospital.”
Spanning about 54,000m2, the new seven-storey NMH will feature 244 beds, an expansion of 80 in-patient and day-case beds from the current facility at Holles Street.
In addition, it will house five theatres, 24 birthing rooms, and advanced facilities for early pregnancy assessment and ultrasound, as well as educational spaces for healthcare professionals.
It will offer a range of maternity, gynaecological, and neonatal services.
These include ambulatory gynaecology, specialist menopause clinic, regional fertility hub, endometriosis hub, and a national mesh complications service.
There will be shared services between NMH and SVUH, such as laboratories and catering.
With planning consent already secured and the design approved by stakeholders, the need for future changes is minimised.
