According to sources within the HSE, Beacon Medical Group and international firm Synchrony/Capio Healthcare . . . who shared four of the six colocation contracts announced last week . . . are the only names on the shortlist for the controversial Tallaght site, which was re-tendered last month despite a steady stream of criticism from the facility's Adelaide Hospital Society over the twotier nature of the government policy.

In early June, Adelaide Hospital Society director and Tallaght Hospital board member Dr Fergus O' Ferrall called for a review of the entire co-location policy due to claims that the plans would not provide as many beds as suggested and would result in systemwide patient care "discrimination". However, after being informed by the Department of Health and the HSE that no publicly funded alternative to the policy would be made available, on 23 June the Board of Tallaght Hospital reluctantly accepted that a co-location hospital would be built on its lands.

"It is imperative to provide up to 200 extra acute hospital beds to meet the pressing need of our patients, and the board has focused upon the best arrangements to provide for our patients and our medical and other staff, " read a statement from the Adelaide Hospital Society after the decision was made. However, the serious reservations held by the Adelaide Hospital Society and by many other bodies have been clearly voiced and placed on the public record.

Under the HSE timeframe, Beacon Medical Group and Synchrony/Capio Healthcare now have until 2 August to provide detailed site-specific plans for the new facility before the Tallaght contract is formally awarded in mid-August.

A further co-location contract for Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown is also expected to be announced at this time, with a concrete bid from Mount Carmel Medical Group understood to be on the table.