Single body overseeing children's hospitals approved by Government
The Minister for Health has announced the Government’s approval for the drafting of the Children’s Health Bill 2017.
This Bill will establish a single statutory entity to take over the services of the existing three Dublin children’s hospitals: Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin; Temple Street Children’s University Hospital; and the National Children’s Hospital at Tallaght Hospital.
It will also run the new children’s hospital which is being built on a campus shared with St James’s Hospital, and the paediatric outpatient and urgent care centres at Connolly and Tallaght Hospitals.
This follows on from the April 26 decision by the Government to approve the construction investment for the children’s hospital and associated outpatient and urgent care centres.
Simon Harris TD welcomed the decision.
"This legislation, which is to create a new legal entity into which the services of the three children’s hospitals will transition, will be another step on the way to providing Ireland with a world class children’s hospital," he said.
The Boards and Executives of the hospitals affected welcomed the Government’s approval for the drafting of the Children’s Health Bill 2017 to provide for the establishment of a new body into which the existing hospitals will transition.
"We are delighted that the legislation to create this new body is being progressed. While bringing three hospitals together is a complex challenge it is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance local paediatric services in Dublin as well as enhancing highly specialist paediatric services nationally. The voluntary merger of the three hospitals is primarily driven by our common objective to deliver a single service with all specialties under one roof in the new children’s hospital as this will deliver better clinical outcomes for the sickest children and young people. In advance of the move to the new facilities we also acknowledge the effort needed to guide and support our staff in the clinical, operational and cultural integration of the three hospitals," Dr Jim Browne, Mr Turlough O’Sullivan, Mr Sean Sheehan and Mr Liam Dowdall jointly said.
