Decision due on new children’s hospital

A DECISION is due this week on Connolly Hospital’s bid to have the new National Children’s Hospital located on its site in Blanchardstown.

Minister for Health Dr James Reilly is expected to reveal the long-awaited recommendation from the Dolphin Group tasked to re-examine the most suitable site for the major development.

In a last ditch effort to seal the deal Connolly Hospital last week reiterated the advantages and suitability of its campus with the support of Beaumont Hospital and the Royal College of Surgeons.

In a joint statement from Dr Trevor Duffy, Connolly Hospital’s clinical director; Professor Hannah McGee, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Dr Paul Brennan, Clinical Director, Beaumont Hospital, outlined the reasons why it should be the chosen location for the hospital.

According to the statement, Beaumont and Connolly hospitals will soon amalgamate under one governance structure with a combined bed capacity of 1,142.

“Key national clinical specialities are provided which already serve all of the paediatric hospitals, nationally and in Dublin,

? it was stated.

“These include the National Renal (Kidney) Transplantation Service, the National Neurosurgery Service and the National Cochlear Implant Service.

“The two hospitals already provide services to children transitioning to adolescence and adult services in the key areas of Cystic Fibrosis, Epilepsy and Diabetes.

?

It was also argued that the children’s hospital would have the best availability to healthcare resources, training and research as Beaumont and Connolly are teaching hospitals of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

With 50 acres of spare land, Connolly maintains it could facilitate a maternity facility as well as the new children’s hospital.

The 40,000sqm maternity hospital combined with the new national children’s hospital would be a cheaper option than if the complex was built on any other site, according to the joint statement from the hospitals.

“There is unanimous agreement that building on a greenfield site is the fastest way to deliver the National Children’s Hospital and is of the order of 25 per cent less costly than building on a tight city centre location,

? the statement claims.

“There are no material adverse planning issues or no likelihood of planning delays on the Connolly Health Campus site.

“Our proposal can deliver the National Children’s Hospital and a new maternity hospital on the James Connolly site for the same cost as building one hospital on a city centre site.

?

It was also argued that the Connolly campus is ideally situated on the outskirts of the city and is easily accessed from all regions of the country through the surrounding road network, bus corridors and rail links.

The submission from Connolly Hospital was made to an expert group headed by Frank Dolphin, who is examining all the options in relation to the site for the new children’s hospital.

It will form the basis of a report by Minister Reilly that will be brought to Cabinet for approval. The decision is expected to be made this week.