Update on New Children’s Hospital Development.

As the development of the hospital is a national infrastructural project, the plans for the new Children’s Hospital of Ireland are now being submitted directly to An Bord Planala.

This is an exciting time: we are at the cusp of a new era of delivering services for sick children. The development of the new children’s hospital will not only provide a world class facility for the greater Dublin area and the country, its development will influence changes in the delivery of care for sick children throughout the country.

Earlier this year we welcomed the new National Model of Care for Paediatric Healthcare in Ireland which was published by the HSE. This new model of care and current work of the Health Information and Quality Authority in developing standards and guidance for safer better healthcare are the first steps along this path. CHI will continue to advocate for the inclusion of its Charter for Children in Hospital and our Guidelines for the Care of Children with Special Needs in Hospital into specific proposed standards.

However, we are not there yet and I will finish with a cautionary word. It will be necessary for everyone – all citizens of the county – to become engaged with how health services are delivered to children. I would urge everyone to participate in consultation processes, to keep calling for standards. I would urge parents of children who use health services regularly to join illness and condition support groups. I would urge everyone to join CHI to strengthen our voice and to demand that rights of children to the best possible healthcare are vindicated.

To have a look at the hospital's new design layout, follow this link: http://www.newchildrenshospital.ie/ which will lead you to the new children’s hospital website, where you will find the latest news and planning. If you have any views or ideas on this that you would like to share please leave a comment.