Health Service Planning, Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital,
Dublin (EIRE)
Client Issue: This stand alone hospital located in Central Dublin in a listed building on its own very restricted site & has been trying for some years to determine how to update its facilities - notably its Theatre provision which has been criticised by the Department of Health & its very cramped & outdated Outpatients Department. A number of architectural ‘solutions’ have promulgated over the years: none have been technically feasible. In 2005/06, the client therefore asked Dr Ronnie Pollock, our strategic health & social care planning expert to review the situation & put forward his recommendations.
Solution: We identified quite early that the only sufficiently large & appropriately located area for redevelopment was that part of the site occupied currently by the Outpatient Department. This was however mainly a single storey construction & in generally unsatisfactory condition. It was therefore proposed that this be located in temporary accommodation freeing the site for the construction of a new four storey building (the same height as the original building) housing a new Theatre Suite on the top floor linking to inpatient accommodation & with the lower floors providing for the enlarged new outpatient provision. The linking arrangements between the old & new buildings in this scheme also permit a simplification & rationalisation of patient & visitor circulation, thereby making the hospital far more effective.
Outcome: The scheme has been welcomed by the client & accepted by the Department of Health for inclusion in its forward Capital Program (the implementation date for building has yet to be announced).