Staff Nurse, Theatre And Surgical Hub, University Hospital

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is a model 4, tertiary referral centre and large university teaching hospital managed by the HSE South, West Region - Integrated Health Area (IHA), Cork South and West. CUH is the tertiary referral centre for the HSE Southern Region, and the supra-regional area of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny. CUH therefore acts as a regional centre for secondary and tertiary care for the catchment population of approx 550,000 served by the HSE Southern area and a supra-regional centre for a total population of 1.1 million.

The Regions academic partner is University College Cork (UCC), and it serves as one of two major trauma centres for Ireland. The hospital is one of two designated Level 1 trauma centres‡ in the country, one of two 24 hours, seven days a week neurosurgical and stroke thrombectomy centres, one of five 24 hours, seven days a week primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) centres, one of four cardiothoracic surgical centres, one of two comprehensive coagulation and haemophilia centres, and a cystic fibrosis centre. CUH is also one of eight cancer centres aligned with the HSE National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).

CUH has approximately 800 beds, with further expansion of services planned. The services provided in CUH include all major medical specialities, a range of surgical specialities, emergency care, a category 3 or speciality 3(s) intensive care, a wide range of diagnostic services and outpatient care.

The hospital currently employs approximately 4,900 (WTE) staff of multiple professions. CUH has very strong relationships with each of the six schools within the Science Faculty of UCC, and this is a key area for future development to maximise the opportunities for both the service and academia.

Health Region Implementation

Central to the Sláintecare vision is the reorganisation of the HSE into six new health regions, in turn divided for operational purposes into a number of Integrated Health Areas, and a revised national structure which supports this model. The 3 IHA in the HSE South West are Cork South and West, Cork North and East and Kerry. CUH sits within Integrated Health Area (IHA) Cork South and West. The new regional structures will provide the organisational and aligned corporate and clinical governance arrangements to enable population-based planning, management, and delivery of integrated care for people within a region. These new arrangements aim to improve the health service’s ability to deliver timely integrated care to patients and service users, care that is planned and funded in line with their needs at regional and local level.

The primary objective of this reform is to help deliver universal and integrated care for people, providing them with timely access to the care they need, when they need it. This will help to ensure that the needs of people are prioritised by promoting a culture that seeks to continuously improve the access to, and quality of, health and social care services. This will be achieved by refining processes and minimising structural barriers to integrated care thereby increasing productivity and the consistency, effectiveness, and efficiency of services.

The structure and associated functions of the Health Regions are evolving in line with the implementation of the Health Regions programme to achieve a clinically led, professionally managed, integrated governance structure which will result in:

An integrated approach to management, governance and service delivery across hospital-based and community-based services

• The delivery of high-quality and safe services

• Regional and national consistency in quality and standards of care

• High standards in clinical aspects of governance

• Sustainable quality assurance and improvement

• Bringing decision making closer to the point of care with increased responsiveness

• More streamlined care pathways for patients within and across specialties, organisations and functions

• Clarity of responsibility and accountability for all staff

• Integrated planning and delivery of services across the pathway of care

• Optimisation of resources across the region with an increasing focus on productivity in the public interest.

Theatre Complex and Surgical Hub

The Theatre Complex and Surgical Hub in CUH will ensure the provision of elective and emergency surgical procedures in the specialist theatre environments of Cardiothoracic, General, Vascular, Orthopaedic, Neurosurgery, Pancreatic, Colorectal, Plastics, Trauma, Urology, Renal, Hepatobiliary, Gynaecology and day procedures for adults and children. The Theatre Complex works on a 24/7 basis. There are a total of 13 theatres and 15 recovery bays.

The Surgical Hub at Cork University Hospital (CUH) will be a dedicated facility designed to enhance day-case surgery and ambulatory capacity, addressing public waiting lists in advance of the development of regional elective hospitals. It will be located on the CUH campus, a Model 4 hospital, and will operate under the governance of CUH’s surgical/perioperative directorate.

The post holder will work across all relevant areas of the CUH campus including the Theatre Complex and Surgical Hub.