Galway Bay fm newsroom - The HSE says it has no plans at the moment to provide modular buildings at Merlin Park to increase capacity in the Public Health Service.
A feasibility study will be carried out later this year on the UHG and Merlin Park hospital sites in the city.
The options appraisal follows suggestions that UHG be moved to the Merlin Park site from its existing, congested location at Newcastle.
The issue has been raised at Regional Health Forum level by City Councillor and forum member, Padraig Conneely.
The HSE says it’s hoping to do a study on the future of both sites, and how both can be used to improve the provision of health services for patients from Galway and across the region.
The executive says it will try to use the Merlin Park site to ease the pressure on UHG in the interim.
Earlier this year, senior HSE officials indicated they would consider the use of modular buildings at Merlin Park Hospital in a bid to increase capacity.
However, the executive is now ruling this option out for the time being.
Chief operation officer Ann Cosgrove says there's a want and a need to develop the Merlin Park site - but more permanent solutions are required.
In addition, she says no funding is currently available for modular builds.
