Ireland’s First Dedicated Private Skin Cancer Clinic to Open in South Dublin

Ireland’s first dedicated skin cancer clinic is to open in south Dublin this summer as confirmed cases of the disease reach record levels. 7m surgery centre offering dedicated treatment for skin cancer will start welcoming patients in south Dublin from July 2026. The centre, known as Surgical Institute Dublin (SID), is expected to open in July.

It is a private clinic in Ballsbridge focused on skin cancer diagnosis and dermatological surgery. The facility will include four procedure theatres and more than 30 specialist consultants. 8 million will be invested in the design and construction of the facility itself.

9 million will be allocated across a lease deposit and legal, finance and tax advisory fees, as well as a cash reserve to fund operational costs during the first year of trading. Surgical Institute Dublin is co-founded by Caitriona Ryan, Nicola Ralph and Conor Murphy. Caitriona Ryan is a consultant dermatologist at the Institute of Dermatologists and Blackrock Clinic.

She is an associate clinical professor at University College Dublin who worked in the US for seven years. Ryan said the model aimed to reduce delays by allowing patients to undergo consultation and treatment in the same facility. “Here, you come in with a suspicious lesion, it is assessed and if necessary you can be treated the same day,” she said.

“It takes out months of waiting and stress for patients. ” Figures provided to The Times by the National Cancer Registry Ireland show 13,290 cases of skin cancer were recorded in Ireland in 2023. The 2023 skin cancer figure is the highest annual figure on record and represents a 14 per cent increase on 2018.

The National Cancer Registry Ireland has warned the number of skin cancer cases could exceed 20,000 annually by 2040. Ireland’s dermatology services are also facing severe pressure, with more than 56,000 people on waiting lists and routine dermatology appointments in some areas delayed by up to three years.

The new clinic is based on a US model of consolidating dermatology and skin cancer services in one place.

Ryan said she had noticed a “resurgence” in sunbed use among young people. “It’s shocking,” she said. “There’s also an increase in the number of men using them. I think with men now, everybody is going to the gym six days a week, and then they’re running around with their tops off and doing Hyrox and everything else.

Irish men aren’t going to wear a fake tan so they’re getting into sunbeds. There’s definitely been a spike in it again. ” There are 351 registered sunbed businesses operating in Ireland, according to the HSE.

Using sunbeds before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 75 per cent. Last October Jennifer Murnane O’Connor established a cross-departmental working group on sunbeds. The working group has recommended banning commercial use of sunbeds.

The public consultation on sunbeds drew almost 9,500 responses. Murnane O’Connor said while no final decision had been made on the sunbed ban, she was due to receive the public consultation report soon. “We know that sunbed use is linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, so it is important that we take strong, evidence-based action to protect our population from this preventable harm,” she said.

She added that skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, with rates continuing to rise. “Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunbeds is internationally recognised as carcinogenic, with no safe level of exposure. ” The Times reported that ministers are considering the findings of the working group after the public consultation.

The move comes as the government examines legislation to prohibit commercial sunbed use in Ireland, following the example of countries including Australia and Brazil.