Pictured above at the Rotunda Hospital are Dr Vicky O’Dwyer, Director of Gynaecology; Prof Fergal Malone, Master; and Mr Jim Hussey, General Secretary/Manager
A new state-of-the-art gynaecology unit has been opened at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin to reduce waiting lists for patients based in the north Dublin catchment area and patients in other RCSI group hospitals.
The ‘Rotunda Gynaecology’ unit was funded under the HSE National Woman and Infants Health programme, and due to additional staffing, will increase capacity for gynaecology services by over 100 per cent on an annual basis. Additionally, there will be a 60 per cent increase in the availability of appointments for fertility assessments including a new dedicated andrology room and laboratory. The unit is situated on the hospital campus in Parnell Square and is operational since 29 March 2021.
In the first year, Rotunda Gynaecology is aiming to reduce the waiting list for gynaecology services significantly. Currently there are 3,115 women on the waiting list, with some waiting up to 53 weeks for a routine appointment. With ten clinical rooms and two outpatient procedure rooms, it will facilitate the expansion of gynaecology clinics in the Rotunda Hospital to a full service, which will operate five days per week (Monday to Friday). This includes gynaecology appointments, ultrasound, anaesthetic consultations, and ambulatory gynaecology procedures. The dedicated gynaecology ultrasound service will also enable increased access to diagnostics, to determine care pathways for new patients.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the clinic will continue to provide a virtual service via telemedicine and video consultations to assess appropriate new patients and allow for accelerated access to treatment. There will also be face to face appointments. Rotunda Gynaecology clinics are delivered by a multi-disciplinary team, led by consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists, and offer “a comprehensive range of services for the investigation and treatment of benign gynaecological conditions”.
Commenting on the opening of the Rotunda Gynaecology unit, Prof Fergal Malone, Master of the Rotunda Hospital, said: “Management and staff at the Rotunda Hospital are delighted to announce this new development for gynaecology services. The opening of our dedicated gynaecology unit aligns with the hospital’s strategic plan to advance areas of clinical expertise by further developing women’s health specialities and providing the best patient and staff experience. Rotunda Gynaecology will be operational five days per week, which will significantly reduce our gynaecology waiting lists and enable us to continue to provide best in class patient centred care.”
The new unit is situated on the Parnell Square East side of the Rotunda campus. Patients can be referred to Rotunda Gynaecology by their GP.
Prof Malone added: “I would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of the team involved in this project, which came together in just three months. We look forward to continuing to develop the gynaecology service going forward in collaboration with the National Woman and Infants Health programme.”
For further information: https://rotunda.ie/gynaecology/
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