€4.8 million investment bolsters cardiac services at Mater Private Cork

This week, Mater Private Cork celebrates the official opening of its second Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory and in doing so, becomes the first private hospital in the region to boast two Cath Labs. The culmination of a €4.8 million investment programme, the move further cements Mater Private Network’s position as a national leader for cardiac care, and significantly expands its capacity for treating both complex and routine cardiac cases in Munster. 

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in Ireland and with an ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions the demand for heart disease treatment has never been greater. Mater Private Network is a national tertiary referral centre for cardiac intervention, and as one of the busiest high-volume cardiac and vascular centres in the country, delivers intervention, testing and surgical services across a network of hospitals, ambulatory clinics and outreach centres. To date, almost 25,000 invasive cardiac procedures have been performed at the hospital in Cork and this investment will double patient access to interventional procedures on-site.

Over the last decade, Mater Private Network has shown an unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional healthcare in Cork and through consistent and strategic investment to the value of €25 million, has delivered an exponential growth of services paving the way for unprecedented patient access to complex treatments. Treatment capacity at the hospital has doubled and it now has over 100 beds, among those 65 state-of-the-art inpatient single en suite rooms, setting a new standard for private healthcare in Munster. 

Key milestones since the hospital’s establishment ten years ago include the opening of the first Cath Lab in 2014, the opening of the Urgent Cardiac Care service in 2015 and Emergency Department in 2016, the specialised Spine & Orthopaedic Centre and Ophthalmology Centre in 2017 and most recently, the establishment of the Centre for Women's Health, the first of its kind in a hospital setting here in Ireland, which opened its doors to the women of Munster in May 2022. 

Commenting on Mater Private Network’s impact in the region, CEO of the Mater Private Cork, Sandra Daly commented:

“Through consistent and strategic investment, we have expanded our services in Cork and now treat over 74,000 patients annually from the wider Munster region. Just last month we were awarded the Joint Commission International Gold Standard Accreditation (JCI) for the fourth time, a testament to the exceptional standard of care and operational excellence on site. 

“Building a team of over 400 employees, 74 specialist consultants among them, has been essential to that success. I’m delighted to be presenting 46 commemorative medals to members of staff this Friday to celebrate those have completed 10 years of service with us since our establishment in 2013. Our culture and values put the patient at the heart of everything we do, and we have great ambitions for the next ten years!" 

Speaking about Mater Private’s cardiology services, Dr. Ronan Margey, Clinical Lead and Consultant Cardiologist at Mater Private Cork, said: 

“Mater Private Cork continues to deliver the highest quality cardiac care to thousands of patients each year and is a recognised regional centre for complex, high-risk interventional procedures for coronary artery disease. This investment of €4.8 million represents a critical first step in the expansion of our cardiology services. The second Cath Lab will facilitate the expansion of our Urgent Cardiac Care service and deliver a twofold increase in the volume of cardiac patients we can treat here. 

“In 2024 we plan to expand our advanced cardiac diagnostic imaging, establish an Intensive Care Unit and offer cardiac surgery on site. This step will uniquely position Mater Private Cork to provide 360-degree comprehensive cardiac care to patients across the wider Munster region. We will of course also continue to offer our patients access to multiple clinical research trials of new treatments and new technologies as part of our research collaboration with the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI)."

Mater Private Network is renowned for medical innovation and the provision of high acuity care across its ten sites here in Ireland and its presence in Mahon, Cork is a testament to that. With deep roots now established in Cork and new leadership at the helm, Mater Private Network has great ambitions for the wider Munster region as it seeks set a new standard for private healthcare across Ireland.