Shamefully, the NPH will NOT change the upper admission age limit (eve of 16th birthday) despite Report recommendations and numerous requests from child advocacy groups.
Below is one such from the organisation ” Children in Hospital Ireland” submission to the NPH -read full text here
“The new National Paediatric Hospital must cater for the admission of child patients up to (at a minimum) the age of 18 years. Bed numbers must reflect this. At present many of the adult hospitals in the Greater Dublin region admit children aged between twelve and 14 years upwards. The three children’s hospitals do not routinely admit children over 15 or 16 years of age who have not been attending the hospital on an ongoing basis. This is significant in that current calculations on bed requirements rely an upper age limit of 15 or 16years, broadly in line with current practices. However, in the new NationalPaediatric Hospital, these admission practices must change in line with the definition of children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the EACH Charter and in line with Government policy and recent Irish Legislation.
The new National Paediatric Hospital bed capacity must reflect this admissions policy and practice.”