The Government’s new expert group looking at the future of the proposed national children’s hospital will be able to examine alternative locations to the Mater hospital, including greenfield sites.
Minister for Health James Reilly said this afternoon that “everything is on the table”.
The Cabinet today approved the terms of reference of the new expert group, which is to be chaired by the former chairman of the HSE Frank Dolphin. The group has been asked to report within 56 days on the implications of the decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse planning permission for the new national children’s hospital on the proposed site at the Mater hospital in Dublin city centre.
Dr Reilly said the Dolphin group would advise the Government on “where to go next and on what is the most expeditious way of getting the hospital built”.
The Minister said the primary concern of the Government was to see the new national children’s hospital built as quickly as possible. However, he said he did not want to see the project rushed either.
He said in its deliberations the Dolphin group could look at other alternatives to the Mater location including a greenfield site.
Asked whether a move to a greenfield site at this stage would allow the project to be developed within the lifetime of the Government, as stated previously by the Taoiseach, Dr Reilly said that this would prove challenging but would present some advantages.
“Presumably you would have better access, [you] would not be dealing with a difficult site as there is in the Mater. You would be able to build 24 hours per day if you were away from a built-up area, which you would presume it would be if it were a greenfield site. They would be considerable advantages in expediting the construction when you got through the tendering and planning process.”
Nonetheless, the Minister, who had previously spoken about the possibility of developing a smaller children’s hospital at the Mater site, denied he was now leaning towards a greenfield location. He said there were advantages and disadvantages and that the Dolphin group should have a hard look at these. However, he said it would be wrong for him to prejudge anything the group might come up with.
Dr Reilly said he believed that co-locating the new children’s hospital with an adult hospital was important, as was further “tri-location” with a maternity hospital. He said the research and education elements of the children’s hospital project were also important.
The Minister said co-location with an adult hospital was a key point and that this had been made by a previous expert group that had examined the project.
“Others may have a different view, but my view is very simple. The best experts in the world have nailed their colours to the mast on this in relation to it being co-located and that being an important feature of it.”
The Minister suggested co-location with an adult hospital would provide sufficient numbers of patients to justify the appointment of consultants in a number of highly specialised areas that would otherwise not be the case.
“I think if you reflect on the super specialised area of certain procedures, we would not have the volume in our child population to be able to retain a full-time expert in that area. But when you combine their care with the care of adults then you could justify having several other specialties which we do not currently have now which are really super-specialties.”
The terms of reference of the review group are:
To inform itself about the planning considerations and processes affecting the project.
To consider the different options which now exist for progressing the construction of a national children’s hospital having regard to
- Government policy on the delivery of health services, including accessibility and paediatric services in particular and best clinical practice considerations,
- the cost and value for money considerations of the different options,
- the likely timelines associated with the different options,
- the implementation risks associated with the different options.
To advise him, in the light of these considerations, on the appropriate next steps to take with a view to ensuring that a national paediatric hospital can be constructed with minimal delay.
To report to the Minister within 56 days of the first meeting of the group.
