Work gets underway on new children’s hospital

A TOP international company has been chosen to design the new children’s hospital on the St James’s Hospital site.

The announcement was made by Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar last week that international design practice, BDP, had been appointed as architects for the new children’s hospital.

The hospital will provide 384 in-patient beds including 62 critical care beds, a total of 85 daycare beds, 14 theatres in total and 111 outpatient consulting examination rooms.

The hospital will provide world-class care and treatment for a projected 28,258 inpatients per year.

Over 220,000 outpatients will receive care and there will also be purpose built accommodation for parents.

Deputy Catherine Byrne (FG) said it was great that work was getting underway on the project.

“We have been talking about the new children’s hospital for far too long,

? she said.

“St James’s Hospital has been selected as the site for the hospital and it is now time to get working on the project.

“This hospital is long overdue and I am delighted that the wheels are now in motion for building to start as soon as possible.

?

The design team is expected to finish its work early next summer in order to secure planning permission and enable works next year at St James’s.

Work will also start next year at the satellite centres in Tallaght and Blanchardstown.

“This Government has done what others before have not or would not,

? Deputy Byrne added.

“We have confirmed the site for the much needed children’s hospital and we are following through on our promise to make this a reality.

“A world-class team has been selected to ensure that a hospital without precedent is built to provide the finest medical facilities and deliver the best environment and treatment for children.

“The children’s hospital at St James’s will be hugely beneficial to the local area,

? she added.

“It will support local business and encourage development.

“The Government is focused on continuing to secure the recovery and to continue to create jobs.

“The advancement of the children’s hospital project brings us closer to providing world-class healthcare for children and it has the potential to create and sustain hundreds jobs during construction and in the long term.

?

Meanwhile, it has been announced that building work on a replacement for the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum may begin by the end of next year.

The Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health Kathleen Lynch, said that An Bord Pleanála has granted the project Strategic Infrastructure Development status.

Minister Lynch said she was confident the project will proceed through the planning process and that building can start by the end of 2015.

Interested parties now have seven weeks to make submissions to An Bord Pleanála on the project.