Dr. Emma Curtis:

When the new children's hospital was being designed, several factors were taken into account. There was a significant amount of activity on capacity analysis, involving looking at the current children's hospitals activity as well as talking into account current unmet need and waiting times, which are very significant and, in some cases, breach HSE guidelines. There was also consideration of developments in care and different and more efficient and effective ways of delivering care. Although the bed numbers are not substantially different, they are based on calculated activity, which included looking at CSO projections for child populations well into the future, as well as an increase in day care beds. Account was taken of the fact that an increasing proportion of children who have a day care procedure carried out will not need an extended inpatient admission. In the past, such procedures might have required an inpatient bed. There is provision for a day of surgery admission, DOSA, unit, whereby a well child, who is anticipated will have an inpatient stay, will be admitted on the day and not beforehand. We are developing that within our current facilities and a dedicated DOSA reception unit will be built in the new children's hospital in addition to the 93 day care beds and the inpatient bed provision.

A matter in respect of which we have looked at international models, and which fits in with the Deputy's observations regarding Tallaght Hospital, is that there are two dedicated emergency theatres within our theatre provision. That means that if an emergency comes in, it will not dislodge a planned elective procedure, which is what currently happens. That is a critical part of general and trauma emergency provision.