Around 2,500 procedures have been carried out at Mount Carmel site since it opened in February
More than 300 patients have been taken off a waiting list for chronic pain management since the opening of a new surgical hub.
Waiting lists for surgery and post-operative care in South Dublin have dropped significantly since the surgical hub at Mount Carmel opened its doors in February. This includes a 79 per cent reduction seen in waiting lists for chronic pain management.
The inpatient/day case (IPDC) pain management list fell from 390 patients at the start of the year to just 81 by the end of July.
The number of patients in the area waiting longer than 12 weeks for urology treatment also fell by one-third in 15 weeks.
Meanwhile, plastic surgery waiting lists were down 21 per cent by the end of July, while general surgery lists were down 18.4 per cent.
Governed by St James's Hospital, the Mount Carmel hub provides care across a wide range of specialties, including general surgery, orthopaedics, pain relief, plastic surgery, urology, dermatology, oral and maxillofacial surgery and planned trauma. Surgeries for gynaecology and ENT are expected to be introduced in the coming months.
"The Surgical Hub South Dublin at Mount Carmel was designed to improve access to elective and ambulatory care, and less than a year since opening, we are already seeing a transformative impact on waiting lists across multiple areas," said St James's CEO Mary Day.
"Thanks to the expertise and commitment of our staff, patients in South Dublin are being treated faster and more efficiently."
The Mount Carmel site is the second surgical hub to begin operations in recent years, after the opening of the Reeves Day Surgery Centre in Tallaght in December 2020.
Other surgical hubs have been planned for North Dublin, Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick, with plans in place to have them fully operational by the end of 2026. They will each have two operating theatres, two minor procedure rooms, and areas where patients can recover after a procedure.
Smaller hubs have also been pencilled in for Sligo and Letterkenny, but it is unclear when these will be built and fully operational.
Mella Fitzgerald, operations and transformation lead for the HSE Surgical Hub South Dublin, said: "We're proud to have already treated more than 2,500 patients since opening in February and as we gradually and safely introduced new specialities, we have no concerns about reaching our target of 10,000 cases in 2026.
"By moving day-case procedures here, we've eased the pressure on acute hospitals, and freed up vital capacity for emergency and complex cases.
"This achievement is down to our dedicated and valued staff, who understand the importance of lean methodologies, and who have delivered timely treatment despite a two per cent rise in some referrals. We look forward to continuing this momentum and driving further reductions in waiting times."
Meanwhile, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler has opened a new €5 million specialist eating disorder facility at the Mount Carmel campus.
Riverside House Community Eating Disorder Services will be the new hub for specialist community mental health services for people with eating disorders in the Dublin South and Wicklow health area.
The service will be delivered by the HSE in partnership with St John of God Mental Health Services.
"This is such an important facility, and a flagship for our developing national network of eating disorders services," said Minister Butler.
"Riverside brings together community teams, the new intensive day programme, and specialist beds at St Vincents Hospital.
"I believe the new day programme represents huge progress for our eating disorder services, as it offers a viable and effective alternative to inpatient care.