IHCA statement on the planned opening of the Urgent Care Centre at Connolly Hospital

“We note the decision of the management of Children’s Hospital Ireland (CHI) to proceed with the planned opening of the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) at Connolly Hospital on Wednesday. 

At a meeting this evening to discuss safety risks identified in the CHI’s own safety assessment, CHI management outlined additional risk mitigation measures that are required to address the failure to recruit a sufficient number of Paediatric emergency medicine and Paediatric Radiology Consultants 

These include:

The use of radiology resources from Tallaght and Crumlin Hospitals to provide diagnostic services at the UCC. It was originally planned that two Paediatric radiology consultants would be recruited to undertake this work onsite;

Reduced opening hours at the UCC. The facility will now be open to patients from 10 am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Original proposed opening times were 8am to midnight, 7 days a week but this has been restricted due to a shortage of Paediatric Emergency Medicine Consultants; and

The use of point of care (POC) blood testing at the new facility. It was originally planned that full laboratory testing services would be available to all patients using the facility.

It is regrettable that the UCC facility cannot now operate to the full extent as originally planned. Instead, it will now operate on a much reduced part-time basis. 

However patient safety must take precedence. We welcome the efforts which have been made by the management of CHI to address and mitigate patient safety risks at the facility which have been highlighted by the Paediatric Consultants.

Our members are committed to continuing to engage with CHI to ensure that this facility can open and operate in full as was the original plan. 

With a collaborative, committed, patient focused approach, this can happen when the capacity and consultant recruitment deficits are addressed”. 

ENDS.