Written answers

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Department of Health

National Children's Hospital

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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269. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18429/17]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The project to develop the new children’s hospital is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance paediatric services for children and to ensure that children, young people and their families have the facilities they need and deserve.

The Government decision to locate the new children’s hospital on the campus of St James’s hospital was clinically led. St. James’s is Ireland’s largest and leading adult teaching and research-intensive hospital, with the broadest range of national specialties of all acute hospitals. It has a strong and well-established research and education infrastructure, making it the hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult co-location partner. Co-location with St James’s, and ultimately tri-location with the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, is best practice internationally and will deliver the excellence in clinical care.

In line with leading practice in children’s hospital design, those who need to stay in hospital will have their own single room. Each of the 380 single rooms, with the exception of critical care rooms, will have an en-suite bathroom and facilities for a parent to comfortably stay overnight. The Ronald McDonald House Charity plans to build a new 53 bedroom Ronald McDonald House adjacent to the new children’s hospital allowing parents and other children to stay as necessary.

A dedicated school will be provided, incorporating a range of educational services, including artwork and pottery, in a stimulating environment that is conducive to learning and is medically equipped to cater for children on ventilators and other mobile electronic medical equipment. It will be fully wheelchair and disability compliant. Dedicated schoolrooms will be provided on three of the inpatient units to cater for children unable to attend the main school due to clinical treatments (including oncology/ haematology and renal dialysis).

Children who cannot attend the school due to disease processes or infection control issues will also be provided with alternative educational support in their room or via appropriate online facilities managed by the school principal. The main hospital school will be located in a central area with direct horizontal and vertical links to the inpatient units and will incorporate four large classrooms for primary and post primary schooling; two specialist classrooms which may include wet areas for arts and crafts. Children and adolescents will be educated separately in age-appropriate accommodation.

The therapeutic benefits of the outdoors will be catered for in the rooftop garden which will offer opportunities for learning, play and distraction. The garden's play decks and terraces will offer a range of outdoor spaces that are rarely found in most hospitals.

The design of the hospital has recognised the need of most parents to access the hospital by car, and 675 car parking spaces have been provided for families based on current and projected future demand, and a further 325 for staff (1000 in total, three times the current number of parking spaces for existing paediatric hospitals). The parking system will also allow families to reserve spaces ahead of arriving to the hospital, and emergency drop-off spaces are also being provided.

The needs of children, young people, their families and those who will work in paediatrics are being taken into account throughout this project. The Youth Advisory Council, (a group of children and young people), amongst others, has provided input, advice and feedback on the development of the new hospital and its future services at regular meetings with the project directors.

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