{"id":417,"date":"2011-09-05T07:53:57","date_gmt":"2011-09-05T07:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/?page_id=417"},"modified":"2020-03-02T23:31:51","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T23:31:51","slug":"nph-timeline-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/nph-timeline-2\/","title":{"rendered":"NPH Timeline"},"content":{"rendered":"

25th<\/sup> April 2017<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cabinet approves the awarding of the main construction contract for the NCH at St,.James\u2019s campus to BAM \u00a0Ireland.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

10th<\/sup> November 2016<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Minister Harris at DoH meeting regular meeting with the Health committee<\/strong> comments\u00a0 on C4KH presentation at the 27.10.2017 of the Oireachtas Health Committee
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n

27 October 2016<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Connolly for Kids Hospital have public meeting with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health. A transcript of the meeting is sent to the Minister for Health.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00a0August 2016<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Enabling Works (BAM<\/span> is assigned the contract) commence at St. James\u2019s. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

June 2016 <\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Twenty County and City Councils at their monthly meetings, May\/June, around Ireland support a motion calling on the Government to review the decision on location and to consider Connolly\u00a0 instead of St. James\u2019s for the new National Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

22 June 2016<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Petition Letter delivered to Taoiseach \u00a0by C4KH – as > 60,000 people (32 counties represented) sign a request for the new hospital to be built by the Government with the new Rotunda Maternity hospital at Connolly in Blanchardstown. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00a015th<\/sup> June 2016<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Red-C poll conducted (6th<\/sup>-8th<\/sup> June) for Newstalk 106\u00a0 National Radio finds 73% of those polled say St James\u2019s is the wrong site. <\/strong><\/h3>\n

28th April 2016<\/span><\/h2>\n

ABP annouces the granting of planning permission for the NPH\u00a0 at St. James’s hospital.<\/h4>\n

3rd February 2016<\/span><\/h2>\n

NCHA joins the newly-formed umbrella group Connolly for Kids Hospital(<\/span>C4KH) as our medical and parents concerns have been stonewalled by the Department of Health and the Government’s non engagement.<\/h4>\n

15th December 2015<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Oral Hearing concludes.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

30th November 2015<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Oral hearing by ABP commences.<\/h4>\n

2nd October 2015<\/span><\/h2>\n

Closing date for written submissions to ABP<\/h4>\n

10th August 2015<\/span><\/h2>\n

Planning Application for NPH is lodged with ABP<\/h4>\n

30th June 2015<\/span><\/h2>\n

DoH announces that the Rotunda<\/span> Maternity hospital will re-locate to Connolly Hospital and the Coombe<\/span> Women’s and Infant University hospital will re-locate to St. James’s Hospital<\/h4>\n

September 2014<\/span><\/h2>\n

Design Team for NPH is appointed.<\/h4>\n

1st July 2014<\/span><\/h2>\n

Project Team for the NPH is appointed<\/h4>\n

28th January 2014<\/span><\/h2>\n

DoH announces that Satellite centres of the NPH -one at Tallaght Hospital and one at Connolly Hospital will be built.<\/h4>\n

November 2013<\/h2>\n

Mr. John Pollock is appointed as Project director on the NPHDB<\/h4>\n

Ms. Eilish Hardiman is appointed as CEO\u00a0 of the Children’s Hospital Group Board<\/h4>\n

2nd August 2013<\/h2>\n

New National Paediatric Hospital Development Board appointed ( “The Build Board”). Chairman is Mr. Tom Costello.<\/h5>\n

April 2013<\/h2>\n

Dr Jim Browne,president NUIG, appointed as chair of new Children’s Hospitals Group. Other members are not appointed until August 2013.<\/h5>\n

February 2013<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Minister Reilly appoints new NPHDB – DoH Deputy Secretary General Fergal Lynch is appointed Chair . Five ordinary board members \u2013 all civil servants -three from the DoH and two from the HSE. No other members are appointed [though S.I. 246 (2007) requires 13 members)!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a06 November 2012<\/h2>\n
Minister Reilly announces the Cabinet decision that the new children’s hospital will be on the campus of\u00a0 St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8<\/h5>\n

19 October\u00a0 2012<\/h2>\n

Report “New children’s Hospital- further assessment of planning issues in relation to proposed sites ” by\u00a0 Simon Clear and John Martin.Commissioned by Minister Reilly, it is published as a supplement to the Dolphin Report.<\/h5>\n

\u00a08th June 2012<\/h2>\n

The Review Group presents its report (the Dolphin Report) to the Minister for Health.<\/h5>\n

6th March 2012<\/h2>\n

The Minister of Health establishes a Review Group ((Dolphin Group) in the wake of an Bord Plean\u00e1la’s decision, to report to the Minister by 24th May 2012. The report date has since been put back\u00a0 to 7th June 2012.<\/h5>\n

23rd February 2012<\/h2>\n

An Bord Plean\u00e1la refuses planning permission for the NPH at the Mater site<\/h5>\n

3rd November 2011<\/h2>\n

The Oral Hearing finished today. An Bord Plean\u00e1la is expected to give its decision on the planning application towards the end of January 2012.<\/h4>\n

<\/h2>\n

17th October 2011<\/h2>\n

An Bord Plean\u00e1la commences an Oral Hearing.<\/h4>\n

20th July 2011<\/h2>\n

Planning application for the NPH is made to An Bord Pleanala.<\/h4>\n
\n

Application can be viewed at www.newchildrenshospitalplanningapplication.ie<\/a>. Submissions to An Bord Pleanala from the public are invited, closing Sept.14th, 2011.<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

6th July 2011<\/h1>\n

The NPH “Independent” Review \u00a0Report is published.<\/h6>\n

It is unclear why\/how the Review reached its recommendation.\u00a0 No clinical advantages for children (required by the terms of Reference) of locating the NPH at the Mater site were documented.<\/strong> No appendices or supporting documentation have been made available as of 08\/08\/2011. NCHA is now seeking such under Freedom of Information legislation. We regret that the minister did not, in view of the level of public interest and to ensure complete transparency, order an “oral hearing” conducted in public as part of the Review.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

17th June 2011<\/h1>\n
NCHA meets the Review Group<\/h6>\n

The Review Group representatives were Mr.Erskine, Prof. Peter Steer, Dr.Jim Shmerling, Mr Cooper, Ms. Jackie Cardiff with Mr Greg.Canning,\u00a0 DoH,\u00a0 in attendance. The meeting lasted one hour during which the four NCHA representatives presented the organisation’s concerns regarding the optimal care of sick children and their families and the inadequacy of the Mater site to meet those needs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

12 May 2011<\/h1>\n

Health Minister Reilly announces an Independent Review of the NPH project<\/h6>\n

COMMENT :- Terms of Reference of the Review are noted to be very restrictive. In Opposition, 16\/01\/2007, the now Taoiseach Enda Kenny had challenged the then government to conduct a review of the process of the selection of the Mater site, saying he had “a deep suspicion something is amiss”. On 24\/03\/2011, the eve of the recent general election, \u00a0Fine Gael says\u00a0 “if in Government, Fine Gael will review the entire proposal<\/strong> as a matter of urgency”. Now in Government, the Fine Gael Health\u00a0 minister confines the review to cost analysis followed by \u00a0assessment of the clinical advantages of the Mater site vis-a-vis cost and design issues including access.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4th April 2011<\/h1>\n
Dept. of Health confirms review of decision to locate at Mater site .<\/h6>\n
\n

Comment: A Dept. of Health spokesman states \u201call the pertinent information\u201d related to the hospital site is being gathered and then a review would begin, lasting four weeks. Start date of review is not announced.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

29th March 2011<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

John Gallagher, chairman of the NPHDB, resigns.<\/h6>\n

Comment: Lack of a continuing mandate and concern regarding the incurring of material costs in the absence of mandate are the stated reasons for Mr. Gallagher’s resignation. Mr. Harry Crosbie, an ordinary board member,\u00a0 is later appointed to the chair.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

24th February 2011<\/span><\/p>\n

“Fine Gael Election Policy -‘If in Government, to review the entire [NPH] proposal as a matter of urgency'”<\/h6>\n

Comment: An Bord Pleanala has yet to hand down its decision on the pre-planning application consultation by the Children’s Hospital of Ireland Foundation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

11th October 2010<\/h1>\n

NPHDB opens pre-application discussion with An Bord Pleanala regarding planning for the new hospital.<\/h6>\n

Comment: The NPHDB indicates that planning application may be made in Jan 2011, the applicant being the Children’s Hospital of Ireland Foundation Ltd., a charitable Foundation set up by the NPHDB.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

5th October 2010<\/h1>\n

Philip Lynch, Chair of the NPHDB, suddenly resigns.<\/h6>\n

Comment: In a statement, Mr. Lynch said he resigned on the basis of significant and fundamental differences between himself and Minister for Health Mary Harney about the need for open and informed discussion on the board of the new hospital on a range of matters.These included the substantial funding gap for the project, clarity or absence of governance proposals, and planning and design challenges on the proposed site of the facility at the Mater hospital.<\/p>\n

Minister Harney stated that their ‘one fundamental difference’ was on the issue of LOCATION.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

27th July 2010<\/h1>\n
Mr Maurice Neligan writes in national newspaper criticizing choice of Mater site<\/h6>\n

Comment: The entry of Mr. Neligan, a highly regarded \u00a0Mater \/Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin cardiac surgeon, \u00a0into the location debate reignites the public debate on the suitability of the Mater site.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

18th June 2010<\/h1>\n

Children in Hospital Ireland hosts conference\u00a0titled ‘A New Children’s Hospital’<\/h6>\n

NCHA Comment:<\/span> The Conference is sponsored by the NPH Development Board.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is apparently now planned to have a 16 storey, 392 bedded hospital with possibly 1000 car parking spaces on 4 underground levels.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Planning permission for enabling works to be sought from DCC possibly by mid July 2010 and for the hospital building possibly by mid August 2010.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

November 2009<\/span><\/p>\n

Planning application yet to be submitted to Dublin City Council for 13 storey, 399 bed hospital with 800 car parking spaces for NPH on the Mater site.<\/h6>\n

15th October 2009<\/span><\/p>\n

Taoiseach Brian Cowen announces Design Team for the NPH<\/h6>\n

9th October 2009<\/h1>\n

Medical Director with the NPHDB addresses the AGM of the\u00a0 Faculty of Paediatrics, RCPI.<\/h6>\n

Presentation by NPHDB to Faculty of Paediatrics (October 2009)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This consisted of a general outline for a \u201cModel of Care\u201d for Paediatrics in Ireland which has now been developed by the NPHDB. It was noted that \u201cModel of Care\u201d for the hospital itself has yet to be developed. The question was asked from the floor \u201cShould the \u201cModel of Care\u201d have been decided before the location of the hospital was chosen?\u201d The speaker refused to answer it. It was noted that the hospital will be 13 storeys high, have 800 car park spaces, 399 inpatient beds and consist of approximately 90,000 sq.m. (excluding education, research, Parent and Hostel accommodation and the National Centre for Medical Genetics).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comment: DCC limits parking in the city centre. 800 spaces is fewer than are currently in OLCHC relative to the number of beds. It is unclear whether these spaces will be accessible\u00a0 to vehicles coming to the adult hospital or a maternity hospital, were the latter to be built. Formulae used to calculate space requirement in other countries suggest 4 spaces per acute bed, or 1 space per 38sq.m. gross floor space as being appropriate. This would suggest a need at the NPH for between 1,600 and 2,370 car park spaces.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In our opinion, a city centre such as Dublin’s,\u00a0 with narrow streets and a innate danger of gridlock if stressed, is incompatible with the duty -of-care of the only\u00a0 Children’s Hospital in the Greater Dublin Area- responsible\u00a0 for the timely, safe and optimal care of\u00a0 a child with a life-threatening condition. Every child is precious, not a minor statistic caught in a traffic jam.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0October 2009<\/h1>\n
Crumlin hospital finally agrees to nominate a representative to the NPHDB.<\/h5>\n

\u00a0NCHA Commen<\/span>t: The board of directors of Crumlin hospital made no statement as to why they had changed their policy of non-participation.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0October 2007<\/h1>\n
\u00a0RKW Higher Framework Brief is finalised.<\/span><\/h6>\n

RKW Report is published (Oct 2007)the the<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excerpts: “This brief…takes as given:”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 The McKinsey recommendation that all Dublin secondary inpatient beds should be co-located with the tertiary services<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 The decision of the Task Group endorsed by the HSE that the hospital should be located at the Mater site.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comment: The above excerpt says it all.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This excerpt gives the lie to Minister Harney’s commitment of 8th March 2007 (see above). RKW were not allowed to question the location of the hospital.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The actual RKW Report (>400 pages long) wrestles unsuccessfully with the question of how much of the service is “core” requiring on-site delivery, how much could be “shared” with the adult and maternity services, how much could be “off-site”. It mentions the problem of accommodation for key personnel in the expensive city centre, the need to link with commercial interests to rent or buy adjacent properties that might become available. It notes “issues regarding environmental quality (which) relate…to the density of the building on the site.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

“A comprehensive Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre (should) be developed at the adult hospital site in Tallaght in advance of the tertiary centre (at the Mater). It will see “children requiring urgent – not emergency – care”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The HSE published its own version\u00a0 “One Step Closer” offering it as a resume of the RKW Report. Interested persons would be well advised to read the original report as\u00a0 ‘One Step Closer’ promotes the HSE agenda avoiding negative\/concerned observations in the original report.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

23rd May 2007<\/h1>\n
National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) is legislated for by Statutory Instrument (SI 246\/2007), replacing the Transition Group.<\/h6>\n

NPHDB is established (May 2007)<\/strong><\/p>\n

NCHA Comment<\/span>: Why was such an important decision signed into law by Statutory Instrument the day before the general election of May 2007? The DOHC had earlier stated that the NPHDB would be set up “when RKW concludes its work”. RKW never reported to the Transition Group which appears to have been dissolved prematurely, disappearing ‘into the ether’, with the establishment of the NPHDB. The Transition Group never produced responses to submissions made to it nor did it produce any report. RKW reported five months later, in October 2007, not\u00a0 as originally had been indicated, to the Transition Group but to the NPHDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Members of NPHDB:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Philip Lynch(Chair resigned Oct 2010) – Businessman<\/strong>
\n Mr John Gallagher (Chair Oct 2010) – Businessman<\/strong>
\n Mr Michael Flaherty – partner in KPMG<\/strong>
\n Ms Kathryn Raleigh – Director of ICT Ireland, IBEC<\/strong>
\n Mr Harry Crosbie – businessman<\/strong>
\n Ms Vera Wegner – to represent the public interest<\/strong>
\n Ms Linda Dillon – to represent the interests of the parents of sick children<\/strong>
\n Ms Norah Casey – Chief Executive Officer of Harmonia Ltd.<\/strong>
\n Mr John O\u2019Brien – National Director of the National Hospitals Office, Health Service Executive – Replaced by Mr Lorcan Birthistle – CEO Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin (Oct 2009)<\/strong>
\n Mr Brian Gilroy – National Director of Estates, Health Service Executive – Replaced by Prof Brendan Drumm (Sept 2010)<\/strong>
\n Dr Owen Hensey (nominee, Children’s University Hospital,Temple St.)<\/strong>
\n Dr Edna Roche (nominee, National Children’s Hospital,Tallaght)<\/strong>
\n Dr Alan Finan (nominee, Faculty of Paeds., RCPI)<\/strong>
\n Dr Pat Doherty (nominee, Our Lady’s Crumlin, Oct 2009)<\/strong><\/p>\n

OLCHC declined to nominate a member to the place reserved for it on the NPHDB until October 2009,<\/strong> almost two and a half years after its inception.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0March 2007<\/h1>\n

OLCHC agrees to conditional engagement with RKW, while reserving its position.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conditional Engagement of OLCHC with RKW (March 2007)<\/strong><\/p>\n

NCHA Comment<\/span>: This followed a minuted meeting in Leinster House (8th March 2007) between Minister Harney and OLCHC where she stated that she would not hesitate to have the location re-examined if RKW concluded that the Mater site was inadequate.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0January 2007<\/h1>\n
OLCHC withdraws from engagement with the Transition Group.<\/h6>\n

Withdrawal by OLCHC from co-operation with the Transition Group (Jan 2007)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comment: This appears to have been due to frustration at the complete stonewalling by the HSE\/DOHC of issues raised in documents submitted (March and September 2006 documents; www.olchc.ie).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Minister Harney’s Response to OLCHC withdrawal:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Now is the time to move on to develop the project. It is time for action now, not further reviews, analysis and re-opening decisions already made.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

HSE Response to OLCHC withdrawal:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“…the HSE finds it difficult to understand the basis upon which it [Board of Managment OLCHC] made its decision…It would be understandable if, on completion of the design of the new hospital, that the Board disengaged because it believed the hospital could not deliver the highest international standards of care…”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

January 2007<\/h1>\n
The HSE\/Transition group commissions RKW Consultants to produce a Higher Level Framework Brief for a New National Paediatric Hospital for Ireland<\/h6>\n

Terms of Reference<\/strong><\/p>\n

Key questions set to be answered by this High Level Framework Brief are \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

“How does the NPH Tertiary Centre sit in the context of a National network for paediatric services?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the model and number for Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centres (A\/UCCs) in the Greater Dublin area?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the Model of Care for the NPH Tertiary Centre at the Mater Hospital site? What services will be dedicated to Children?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What services can be shared with Adult and Maternity services and can any services be located off site?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What size should the NPH Tertiary Centre at the Mater Hospital be, including requirements for Education and Research and future flexibility?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the preferred physical configuration of services at the Mater Hospital site?”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comment: How could the correct location have been chosen without answers to the questions only now addressed in the RKW Report regarding Model of Care, the configuration of services, educational and research requirements and service users needs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 2007<\/h1>\n

Minister Harney\u2019s press statement (11 January 2007) some six months after the hotly-disputed location decision states that the decision was made after “a rigorous and robust and independent assessment process”. It continues \u201cThe Task Group…engaged in extensive consultations with the 3 existing paediatric hospitals, the 3 maternity hospitals and external experts in arriving at its recommendation.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

In fact, there were no hospital site visits, there was, as stated above, just one meeting with each of the 3 Children\u2019s Hospitals all held on 23rd May, just before the Task Group published its report. As for the external experts, one of those experts, Professor Sir Alan Craft, Past President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the UK, after the Minister\u2019s press statement, saw fit (Letters, Irish<\/strong> Times 19th January 2007) to clarify that his \u201cextensive consultation\u201d had consisted of “a telephone conversation with a member of the Task Force [Task Group]…. to discuss the parameters against which a decision (regarding location) could be made and which other specialities should ideally be co-located.” He further stated “I did not see the report nor was I involved in making the decision.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another paediatrician listed as being one of the experts, Dr Mike Berman, a Paediatric Cardiologist and previous Chief at New York Presbyterian Hospital, when interviewed by RTE six o\u2019clock news, also stated he was not involved in advising on a location, and most interestingly, spontaneously added \u201cwhy co-locate with an adult hospital, surely the three Children\u2019s Hospitals together are big enough to be freestanding?\u201d<\/strong>
\n An analysis of that latter possibility, though allowed by McKinsey, has never been carried out; indeed it appears to have been avoided by the HSE\/DOHC.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a015th September 2006<\/h1>\n
Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (OLCHC) submits its vision of Tertiary Care to the Transition Group.<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Vision for Tertiary Care submitted by OLCHC (Sep 2006)<\/strong><\/p>\n

A world class Tertiary Children’s Hospital for Ireland.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excerpts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

(i) “The key model of care…is co-location with a maternity hospital.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

(ii) “Board’s (Board of Management) main concerns relate to size\/space and accessibility to Mater site.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

(iii) “OLCHC recommend that…a new hospital on a Greenfield site be reconsidered…best model to deliver the optimel model of care…at competitive cost and in a reasonable time frame”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comment: A “Greenfield site” was never considered. The “Model of Care” was never considered. “Competitive Cost” was never considered.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0July 2006<\/h1>\n
Transition Group (HSE\/DOHC) set up to forward the process.<\/h6>\n

Membership of the Joint HSE\/DoHC Transition Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

Health Service Executive:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr John O’Brien, Director of the National Hospitals Office (Temporary) – Joint Chair<\/strong>
\n Mr Tommie Martin, National Director, Office of the CEO<\/strong>
\n Dr Fenton Howell, Population Health Directorate<\/strong>
\n Mr Brian Gilroy, National Director of Estates<\/strong>
\n Ms Fionnuala Duffy, Assistant National Director, National Hospitals Office<\/strong>
\n Ms Ruth Langan, Office of the CEO<\/strong>
\n Ms. Angela Fitzgerald, Network Manager, Dublin North East Hospitals Group<\/strong>
\n Mr John Bulfin, Network Manager, Dublin Mid Leinster Hospitals Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

Department of Health and Children:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Paul Barron, Assistant Secretary – Joint Chair<\/strong>
\n Mr Denis O’Sullivan, Principal Officer, Acute Hospitals Division<\/strong>
\n Dr Philip Crowley, Deputy Chief Medical Officer<\/strong>
\n Mr Paul deFreine, Deputy Chief Architectural Adviser<\/strong>
\n Ms Mary Hogan, Assistant Principal Officer, Acute Hospitals Division<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excerpt from HSE statement:-<\/h5>\n
Function of Transition Group: “Progress the following short term actions:<\/h5>\n

Transfer of site from the Mater Misericordiae Hospital Definition of a high level framework brief for the new Hospital<\/strong>
\n Determination of the scope and location of the Urgent Care Centres<\/strong>
\n Determination of co-ordination policies between the new Hospital and other Hospitals, including those outside of Dublin<\/strong>
\n Establishment of Development Board for the new Hospital.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advance considerationson co-location of Maternity services.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a08th June 2006<\/h1>\n
Government “strongly endorsed” [DOHC press statement] the Mater site at its Cabinet Meeting.<\/strong><\/h6>\n

HSE and Government endorsement of location<\/strong>
\n decision (June 2006)<\/strong><\/p>\n

NCHA Comment<\/span>: The Task Group on location met representatives of each of the 3 Children\u2019s Hospitals sequentially for the first and only time on Wednesday, 23rd May. It held its last meeting the following Monday, May 28th. The HSE signed off on the completed report on Friday, June 1st 2006, four days after the last group meeting. The cabinet “strongly endorsed” (DOHC Press statement) the decision a mere seven days later.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1st June 2006<\/h1>\n
The HSE signs off on the Location Task Group Report\u00a0 recommending the Mater site.<\/h6>\n

NCHA Comment: \u00a0Four days after the Location Task Group holds its last meeting, its 80 page report is endorsed by the HSE Board. \u00a0This again as with the McKinsey report, raises the issue of non-engagement\/disinterest\u00a0 by the Board with the serious decisions involved.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

28th May 2006<\/h1>\n
Final meeting of the Location Task Group.<\/h6>\n

Location Task Group (Feb – June 2006)<\/strong><\/p>\n

NCHA Comment:<\/span> Children (WHO definition “all persons under 18 years of age”) were neither on, nor consulted by, the Task Group contrary to the Government’s “The National Children’s Strategy” published in 2000. No Children’s Rights advocate nor Child Health Professional was on the Task Group.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1)The step of developing a workable plan and examining whether all secondary care inpatient beds could be solely in the tertiary centre, as required by the McKinsey Report, was not undertaken.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2)The new Children\u2019s Hospital is planned to be the only hospital receiving emergencies from an enlarged catchment area (the whole of the Greater Dublin area). No study of ambulance transport times or traffic impact on Emergency Access to such a hospital was undertaken. The adult population of this area has access to 6 major Emergency Departments throughout the city. It is essential that ambulance access times to the Mater, and all other potential sites, from the outreaches of the catchment area should have been studied. Life-threatening emergencies do not respect gridlock from rush hour, All-Ireland finals, events at the O2 or the RDS, city centre marches etc.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The absence of these two studies (study of location of secondary care beds and study of emergency access) is a gaping and dangerous defect in the Task Group\u2019s report.<\/strong><\/p>\n

March 2006<\/h2>\n

\u00a0A HSE website posting, 7th March 2006, headed \u201cHSE Refutes Criticism of Process to Select New Children\u2019s Hospital Site\u201d states: –<\/strong>
\n “The outcome process has not been predetermined…..It is open and objective to the point where the outcome may even be a decision to locate somewhere other than an<\/span> existing hospital site.<\/span>…Any suggestion that this group has prejudged anything is completely misplaced”. However, a further posting three weeks later<\/span>, 29th March 2006, on the same website is as follows \u2019Regarding Site of Proposed National Children\u2019s Hospital\u201d: – “This process is to recommend only where the hospital is to be sited….The prime consideration is [sic] making this decision on site location will depend on co- location to an adult teaching academic hospital and adult national centres of treatment”<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What happened in\u00a0 those three weeks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early February 2006<\/h1>\n
Task Group on optimal location of the National Paediatric Hospital (NPH) is set up (HSE\/DOHC\/OPW).<\/h6>\n

Members:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Health Service Executive:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms. Laverne McGuiness, National Director of Shared Service,<\/strong>
\n (Chairman from April 2006)<\/strong>
\n Mr. John O\u2019 Brien, National Director (Temporary), National Hospitals Office<\/strong>
\n (Chairman to April 2006)<\/strong>
\n Mr. Tommie Martin, National Director, Office of the CEO<\/strong>
\n Dr. Fenton Howell, Population Health Directorate<\/strong>
\n Mr. Joe Molloy, Director of Technical Services and Capital Projects, HSE West<\/strong>
\n Ms. Fionnuala Duffy, National Hospitals Office<\/strong>
\n Ms. Ruth Langan, Office of the CEO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Department of Health and Children:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Paul Barron, Assistant Secretary<\/strong>
\n Dr. Philip Crowley, Deputy Chief Medical Officer<\/strong>
\n Mr. Paul de Freine, Deputy Chief Architectural Advisor<\/strong>
\n Mr. Denis O\u2019Sullivan Principal Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Office of Public Works:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. David Byers, Commissioner, OPW<\/strong><\/p>\n

Established in Feb 06, this task group was “to progress matters and in particular to advice on the optimum location of the proposed new hospital”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

NCHA Comment<\/span>: There was no paediatric healthcare professional on the Location Task group.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No Model of Care or Development Plan informed the process. For shame.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2nd February 2006<\/h1>\n
HSE Board signs off on the McKinsey report.<\/h6>\n

Comment:<\/p>\n

Excerpts from the Minutes of the HSE Board meeting 2.2.06:-<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Members present: L. Downey (Chairman), N. Brennan, D. de Buitleir, B. Drumm (CEO),<\/strong>
\n P.J. Fitzpatrick, M. Gaffney, J. Macri, E. McCague, M. McLoone, M.<\/strong>
\n Murphy, J. Murray & A. Scott.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Location \/ time: HSEEA, Adelaide Road at 9am.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 “The review, as undertaken by McKinsey & Co. was circulated to Board members on the day of the Board meeting.<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The report was endorsed by the Board.<\/strong>
\n \u2022 It was noted that the T\u00e1naiste and representatives of the Taoiseach\u2019s office would be briefed later that evening and that a meeting with representatives of the paediatric and maternity hospitals, the Council of Children\u2019s Hospital Care and the Ombudsman for Children was scheduled<\/strong>
\n for the following day.<\/strong>
\n \u2022 It was noted that a Joint HSE\/DoHC group, with representation from the OPW, would be established immediately to examine the report in detail, to progress matters and in particular, to advise on the optimum location of the proposed new hospital.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The meeting concluded at 5.15pm.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

NCHA Comment<\/span>: Wow – someone is in a hurry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The endorsement by the HSE Board of an unstudied 134 page document is significant. Such non-engagement by the Board facilitated the critical error of establishing a Location Task Group to proceed without identifying the Model of Care for the hospital, setting key objectives and gaining support from service users and deliverers. The speed of briefing of Minister Harney and the Taoiseach’s Office that same evening as recorded in the minutes suggests a political agenda – to be repeated four months later with the Location Report.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1st February 2006<\/h1>\n
The McKinsey Report is completed.<\/h6>\n

Excerpts from McKinsey report (Feb 2006)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(i) “This centre (the tertiary hospital) would also provide care for all the secondary (hospital delivered, non complex) needs of Greater Dublin, subject to the obvious and significant step of translating this into a workable plan – which we have not looked at.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

(ii) “Ambulances (from the whole Greater Dublin Area) are instructed to take all acute volume (seriously ill\/injured) directly to the Tertiary Centre.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

(iii) McKinsey ‘Assessment Criteria’ (blueprint) for a Tertiary Centre. Nine criteria (Chapter 7, p 62 of the report) are listed. No. 3 reads as follows “The preferred option would be co-location. If so, needs to be specific about level of integration and sharing services. If not co-located, need to be specific about how to address the challenges of isolation from adult services.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

(iv) “International experience shows that it is important to weigh a decision to co-locate against pragmatic considerations including space and quality of access…”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

22nd December 2005<\/h1>\n
“Children’s Health First” (McKinsey Report) is commissioned by the HSE.<\/h6>\n

Strategic Organisation of Tertiary Paediatric Services for Ireland .<\/strong><\/p>\n

The terms of reference specified:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe report and its recommendations should be informed by:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. International best practice<\/strong>
\n 2. Working models in the delivery of paediatric care<\/strong>
\n 3. Current and projected demographics in Ireland<\/strong>
\n 4. The inter-relationship between secondary and tertiary care provision for children<\/strong>
\n 5. The requirement to provide paediatric secondary care and A&E services for<\/strong>
\n children in the greater Dublin catchment area<\/strong>
\n 6. Emerging clinical trends<\/strong>
\n 7. Technological developments<\/strong><\/p>\n

Specifically the report must identify:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Whether tertiary paediatric services should in future be provided at one or <\/strong>more locations<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Facilities required to meet tertiary paediatric needs e.g. Beds – inpatient, day, <\/strong>icu; theatres; diagnostic facilities \u2013 radiology, pathology; outpatient facilities<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Appropriate facilities (beds etc.) required to meet secondary paediatric service <\/strong>needs in Dublin<\/strong><\/p>\n

The report and its recommendations must be:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Evidentially based<\/strong>
\n 2. Fully documented<\/strong><\/p>\n

This report and its recommendations will be used to inform HSE future decisions on <\/strong>paediatric care.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

24th October 2005<\/h1>\n
Prof. Drumm addresses the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children’s meeting with HSE.<\/h6>\n
Prof. Drumm says, “While I cannot make a determination in <\/strong>advance of a detailed planning process, the centre<\/strong>[National Paediatric Hospital] should ideally be in the city <\/strong>centre or close to the Mater site…”<\/strong><\/h6>\n
NCHA Comment:<\/span> Shades of things to come<\/strong><\/h6>\n

September 2005<\/h1>\n

Review of Tertiary Paediatric Hospital Services – initiated by Minister Harney and new HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm.<\/h6>\n

This is to initiate work on Goal No. 59 of the 2001 government publication “Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goal No. 59 states “A review of paediatric services (regional\/tertiary) will be undertaken.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2004\/2005<\/h1>\n
Planning permission was\u00a0 granted for a joint adult\/ paediatric development on the Mater site. In 2007 the project was “decoupled” and the solo adult Mater is currently being built 2010<\/h6>\n

2001<\/h1>\n

“Quality and Fairness: A Health system for you”.\u00a0 Government Publication.<\/h6>\n

Quality and Fairness: A Health system for you (2001)-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goal No. 59 states “A review of paediatric services (regional\/tertiary) will be undertaken.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1993<\/h1>\n
Faculty of Paediatrics at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland proposed a single tertiary paediatric hospital for the Republic of Ireland to be based in Dublin.<\/h6>\n

\u00a0As there were no initiatives taken towards the development of a single tertiary paediatric hospital, Temple St. University Children’s Hospital subsequently opened discussions with the Mater Hospital with a view to transferring their\u00a0 children\u2019s hospital onto the Mater site.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

25th April 2017 Cabinet approves the awarding of the main construction contract for the NCH at St,.James\u2019s campus to BAM \u00a0Ireland. 10th November 2016 Minister Harris at DoH meeting regular meeting with the Health committee comments\u00a0 on C4KH presentation at the 27.10.2017 of the Oireachtas Health Committee 27 October 2016 Connolly for Kids Hospital have … Continue reading NPH Timeline<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-417","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/417"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417"}],"version-history":[{"count":88,"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3397,"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/417\/revisions\/3397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewchildrenshospital.ie\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}