St. Vincent’s University Hospital opens new ICU Ward to expand Critical Care capacity

27th January 2026

St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) has officially opened ICU-South, a new critical care facility adding six beds to the hospital’s intensive care capacity. The new ward was opened by Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill on Friday, 23rd January.

ICU-South represents a significant expansion in SVUH’s ability to care for critically ill patients requiring complex specialist care and life support. The new unit forms part of Phase 1 of the national strategic plan to increase critical care capacity across Ireland.

The development has been delivered through close collaboration between HSE Estates and the St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group Estates team, led by Peter Mortell and Nick Andrews, with support from the Perioperative Directorate and ICU clinical and support teams.

The original 20-bed ICU at SVUH cares for approximately 154 patients per month. With the addition of six beds, the hospital expects to create capacity for an estimated 46 additional patients monthly, based on current throughput. This expansion will, enable more complex surgical cases to proceed, support national specialty services such as transplant and trauma and strengthen the resilience of the hospital system.

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said “I congratulate St. Vincent’s University Hospital on the opening of ICU-South. This expansion directly supports the needs of patients and clinical teams, strengthening critical care capacity. It reflects careful planning and collaboration across the health service and I was pleased to mark this milestone with the hospital teams. On behalf of the many patients who will benefit from these additional resources, I thank all the teams from St. Vincent’s and the HSE who were involved in developing ICU South.”

Pauline McGrath, CEO of St. Vincent’s University Hospital, said at Friday’s opening “Today we mark an important advancement in critical care at SVUH that will make a real difference for our patients and their families. ICU-South will help ensure that critically ill patients receive access to the specialist care they need, when they need it. This expansion was delivered through collective effort and deep commitment from our teams, our partners in the HSE and our contractors, Clancy. I sincerely thank every individual who has brought this project to life.”

David Mulvin, Clinical Director for the Peri-Operative Directorate at SVUH, said “Critical care is a demanding environment and access to intensive care beds is essential for patients. The additional capacity provided by ICU-South will enable our teams to respond to patient needs and supports the growing complexity of services we provide at SVUH. I’m proud of the work our staff do every day and grateful for the support from our own teams and our partners in the HSE that made this expansion possible.”

ICU-South is equipped with modern technology, advanced monitoring systems and essential life-support equipment to support the highest standard of care. The facility further enhances SVUH’s role as a centre for complex specialist care and national services.