TWO SURGICAL HUBS in Co Dublin are said to be “well underway” and due to start treating patients later this year.

Surgical hubs are designed to cut waiting lists for day procedures by delivering high volume, low complexity procedures.

The two hubs which are due to begin treating patients sometime this year are in Mount Carmel and Swords.

Renovation work was needed at the Mount Carmel hub, which is a former private hospital that was purchased by the HSE in 2014, while the hub in the Swords Business Campus is a new building.

Other hubs in Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford meanwhile are said to be at a “well advanced” stage and to be working on an “expedited schedule and due to start treating patients in 2025”.

The Cork hub will be based at Cork University Hospital, the Galway hub is in Merlin Park, the Limerick hub is being built at the Scoil Carmel site, while the Waterford hub will be at University Hospital Waterford.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will update Cabinet this week on the delivery of these surgical hubs, as well as on the delivery of the Elective Hospitals.

The surgical hubs are intended to complement elective hospitals in Cork, Dublin, and Galway.

The HSE has appointed a health planning team for the Cork and Galway elective hospitals, with tender documents issued to shortlisted candidates for detailed design projects.

The final teams are set to be appointed over the summer.

In Dublin, a two-site solution is the preferred plan at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown and at the current Children’s Hospital site, Crumlin.

A Preliminary Business Case for the Dublin projects is underway and has been submitted to Government.

The HSE said the focus of the Elective Care Programme is to increase Ireland’s current and future elective care capacity through developing surgical hubs to remove the impact of emergency care pressures.

The development of these four Elective Hospitals is also expected to provide longer term required capacity for a wider range of procedures.