Ireland has two dedicated Paediatric Critical Care Units (PCCU) in Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin and Temple Street. A PCCU is a specialised facility within a children’s hospital that cares for the most critically unwell infants and children. Funding for two additional PCCU beds was provided as part of the Covid response in 2020.
The number of open and staffed PCCU beds on any given day is reported daily by the HSE and as of 20 October, 29 beds were open, staffed and occupied.
The new children's hospital which is being developed on the campus of St James’s Hospital will significantly increase critical care capacity. 60 new critical care beds are planned for within the hospital, to include both paediatric ICU and neonatal ICU beds.