New HSE Surgical Hub to strengthen care for local patients

Located in Swords, the facility was officially opened this week by the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD

The newly opened HSE Dublin and North East Surgical Hub is expected to expand the region's capacity for day case surgery, as well as offer the ability to reduce waiting times and ease pressure on acute hospitals, including services supporting patients in Cavan and Monaghan.

Located in Swords and opened this week by the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, the purpose-built facility is part of the HSE’s national elective care programme and network of public surgical hubs.

“I am delighted to open this HSE Surgical Hub in Swords which will make a real difference to people’s lives,” said Minister Carroll MacNeill at the opening. “These new facilities will enable delivery of faster, more efficient elective care for patients.

“We know that demand for health services continues to grow, which is why we are investing now in delivering a network of Surgical Hubs across the country which will help to drive down waiting times for elective care.”

Designed specifically for day case surgery and minor procedures, it includes four operating theatres, two minor procedure rooms, an 11-bay post-anaesthetic care unit, a 21-bay day ward and 10 outpatient assessment rooms. The hub will provide a range of day case specialities, including general surgery, dermatology, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), orthopaedics and urology. Its dedicated design allows patients, where clinically appropriate, to have their procedure, recover and return home on the same day.

By concentrating planned day surgery in a dedicated facility, the hub will increase capacity for procedures and outpatient appointments, helping to reduce waiting times and support delivery of Sláintecare targets. For patients in Cavan and Monaghan, this means faster access to planned care, fewer last-minute cancellations and a clearer pathway from referral to treatment.

HSE CEO Anne O’Connor described the facility as a “hugely significant step” forward the delivery of planned care for patients. “Dedicated, high-quality facilities like this, will allow us to increase surgical capacity, reduce waiting times and ensure that patients can access treatment in a timely and more predictable way. Critical to this is the separation of elective care from emergency pressures allowing us to make better use of our hospital system overall. It improves patient flow and supports our staff to deliver safe, efficient care. This hub here in Swords is a key part of our national elective care programme and reflects our ongoing commitment to reform and strengthen public health services in line with Sláintecare.”

A key objective of the hub is to separate scheduled day surgery from emergency and unscheduled care, ensuring planned procedures can continue even when hospitals are under pressure. By moving suitable day case procedures to the hub, hospitals across the Dublin and North East region, of which Cavan and Monaghan is part of, the aim is to make better use of theatre and bed capacity for urgent and more complex cases.

The hub opening also supports the Government’s commitment to increase elective-only day-case capacity and aligns with the HSE Corporate Plan 2025–2027. It represents an important milestone in strengthening planned care services across the Dublin and North East health region.

Speaking at the opening, Dervila Eyres, Integrated Health Area Manager for HSE Cavan and Monaghan, noted that the hub will help reduce waiting times, support “smoother patient flow” in acute hospitals and ensure that more people can “access the right care, in the right place, at the right time”.

“This is an important step in building a more sustainable elective care system for communities throughout the wider North East area,” stated Ms Eyres.