The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, turned the sod on a new €190m Bon Secours hospital in Ballysimon in Limerick, to be opened in 2025, which will create 250 new jobs and greatly expand services offered to all patients in the Mid-West.

Part of a wider €300m national investment by Bon Secours Health System in line with its 2025 Strategic Plan, the Limerick hospital, being delivered by John Sisk & Son, expects to be able to treat more than 50,000 patients annually through a wide range of services and technologically advanced care offered by the new facilities.

Turning the sod for the development in Limerick, the Taoiseach said: “This is an extremely welcome healthcare development for the Limerick and Mid-West region.  In addition to creating 250 new high-skilled jobs, 150 additional hospital beds are being provided, to add to the 96 new beds being provided at UHL. It will greatly expand the quality of health services on offer to people living and working in the Mid-West. This hospital will be used by private patients who are insured and public patients funded by Government. I am confident that there can be good co-operation and integration of all healthcare in the region; public, private, hospital and community as envisaged by the Sláintecare Plan.  Bon Secours Health System’s sustained investment in world-class care and facilities is a testament to its continued commitment to technologically advanced healthcare innovation and excellence. I am honoured to turn the first sod for this new hospital.”

Marcus Carne, Managing Director – Regional Director, John Sisk & Son said: “John Sisk & Son is excited to mark the official ground-breaking of Bon Secours Health System (BSHS) new hospital in Limerick. The project has been an aspiration for clinicians, heath planners and local people for many years and this is another milestone in its delivery. The Sisk team and our local supply chain partners have been actively on site for the last six weeks. We look forward to continuing our valued relationship with BSHS and collaborating on the delivery of a state-of-the-art medical facility for the people of Limerick and the greater mid-west region.”

Bon Secours Health System Group Chief Executive, Bill Maher, added: “This new facility will transform day-care surgical and oncology treatments available in Limerick, provide new services such as general medicine, a new cath lab and cardiology, and widen patient-centred services to a growing local population. It is the latest development in our €300m national investment strategy, with the Mid-West now set to further benefit from the high-quality healthcare and technologically advanced services that are the Bon Secours hallmark.  The Taoiseach’s support today is a real endorsement of our ongoing efforts to provide the highest quality in service provision, combining the latest technologies and approaches with compassion and personalised medical care. Our ambition is to continue to build greater partnership with the public system to increase national capacity, improve services and jointly tackle waiting lists providing good help to those in need.”

Rudi Butler, Chairman at Kirkland Investments, said: “Kirkland Investments Ltd., are delighted to see this fantastic facility break ground today, this is a significant milestone for Limerick and indeed the Mid-West. The delivery of this 150-bed private hospital has been a collaborative approach for all key stakeholders involved, including the Bon Secours Health System, Limerick City & County Council and Kirkland Investments, who are all working together to ensure the delivery of this much needed private hospital.  Kirkland would like to thank the Bon Secours for choosing Towlerton as the site for this state-of-the-art hospital, and Limerick City & County Council for their help throughout the process. In conjunction with the adjacent secondary school, currently under construction, Towlerton will create a new sustainable, urban neighbourhood, of which Limerick can be very proud.  The development of Towlerton and planned further investment from Kirkland is a huge vote of confidence for Limerick and the Mid-West.”

Key features of the new facility will include:

• 75 Inpatient beds (all single en-suite rooms)
• four bed Special Observation Unit (single en-suite rooms)
• 20 Endoscopy Recovery Bays and three procedure rooms
• 20-bay Day Surgical Unit
• radiology Department
• four operating theatres
• 10-bay Medical Assessment Unit
• dedicated Ophthalmology Unit
• pre-assessment Unit
• minor op rooms

This hospital is being built on a sustainable site with access to public transport, provision for EV parking and facilities for cyclists. To save energy and to be aware of climate change the buildings will be equipped with heat pump technology for heating and cooling, green roof technology and natural daylight and ventilation will be used where appropriate.

Last year Bon Secours Health System announced a €300 million national investment in its services as part of a new strategy, “Resilience, Reliability and Readiness – The 2025 Plan”, which includes new capital projects, state-of-the-art equipment, IT infrastructure, and the creation of 450 new jobs across the country.  As well as its new hospital plans for Limerick, Bon Secours has recently opened new €10 million operating theatres in Cork. A €16m new Day Ward and Oncology Unit in Dublin is set to open in June, with Bon Secours Tralee also planning to open a new €10 million Medical Assessment Unit and surgical day ward in 2024.

The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has welcomed a new €190 million Bon Secours hospital in Ballysimon, Limerick, to be opened in 2025, which will create 250 new jobs and greatly expand services offered to all patients in the Mid-West.  Part of a wider €300 million national investment by Bon Secours Health System in line with its 2025 Strategic Plan, the Limerick hospital expects to be able to treat more than 50,000 patients annually through a wide range of services and technologically advanced care offered by the new facilities.

Pictured above: Geoff Meagher of Bon Secours, Francis Foley, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, an Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, TD, Dr Siobhan Grimes, Bill Maher, CEO, Denis O’Sullivan, and Jason Kenny of Bon Secours Health System. Photo by Diarmuid Greene.