Nicky McFadden
Question:226. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the development of the national children's hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19628/13]
View answerThursday, 25 April 2013
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Written answers
The decision to locate the new children's hospital on the St James's campus was announced on 6 November 2012. Co-location, and ultimately tri-location with a maternity hospital, on the St James's campus will support the provision of excellence in clinical care that our children deserve. The new children’s hospital is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and the largest project within the current Capital Plan.
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is the body charged with building the hospital. Following detailed consideration of the project management structures and governance arrangements required to enable delivery of the project as quickly as possible and to the highest quality, I intend to restructure the NPHDB to focus on the core function of planning, designing, building and equipping the new hospital. The new Children’s Hospital Group, which brings together the three existing paediatric hospitals, will now lead on functions relating to service transfer planning, human resource planning, philanthropy etc. which were previously within the remit of the NPHDB.
In line with its core function of building the hospital, the membership of the restructured NPHDB must include the expertise to deal with this very large and complex capital project. The necessary appointments are under consideration and, in the interim, a transitional Board is in place comprising officials from my Department and the HSE, ensuring continued governance and decision-making for the project.
The transitional Board is progressing a number of immediate issues. In this first phase of the project, the focus is on reconciling the brief with the new site, site and site preparation and new procurement processes. A joint group involving the HSE and St James's Hospital are meeting regularly to progress the enabling and decant work required. A shared services group has been established to focus on identifying the facilities which can be shared so as to optimise the build. While much of the work that has been done for the project in its previous location on the Mater site is transferable to the new site, a new design for the new site is required and in this regard a priority now for the NPHDB is the procurement of a new design team. A review of urgent care centre(s) configuration is underway and is expected to be complete within the coming weeks; this is key to finalising the scale of the facilities required on the St James’s campus and informing the design.
It is important to remember that, in addition to a new building, the new children's hospital entails the coming together of three existing paediatric hospitals (Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght). I welcome the commitment expressed by the three existing hospitals to becoming a single service well before the new hospital is built and the establishment of the new Children's Hospital Group, involving the three hospitals, is an important step in this regard. The Group will have a non-statutory Board of Direction which will oversee the integration of services across the three hospitals, over time. Dr Jim Browne has been appointed as its Chair, and will work closely with the Chairs of the three existing hospitals, who have welcomed his appointment.