New Crumlin Hospital Group: Parents seek complete redevelopment of Crumlin Children’s Hospital

Parents seek complete redevelopment of Crumlin Children’s Hospital

Dublin, Ireland - February 26th, 2003 - The New Crumlin Hospital Group, today (Wednesday, 26th Feb. 2003) published The Pollock Report which shows that much of the infrastructure at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, is outdated, inadequate and below international standards.

The report was commissioned by The New Crumlin Hospital Group, a voluntary group of parents who are seeking the complete redevelopment of the hospital by the end of 2009, and compiled by Dr Ronnie Pollock, a Partner with UK-based hospital consultancy firm MPA International Health Strategy & Planning.

Dr Pollock’s report is based on a detailed ward-by-ward and facility-by-facility analysis of the physical infrastructure of the hospital.

While the parents are grateful in the extreme for the excellent clinical care children received from doctors, nurses and other health professionals at the hospital, and have complete confidence in this care, they believe that conditions at the hospital could no longer be ignored and it was in urgent need of complete redevelopment.

In his conclusions Dr Pollock states: “The defects and deficiencies in the hospital are very great indeed, and this after heroic efforts over the years to expand and improve facilities.

“I can see hardly any scope for improvement through 'patching' the present framework, and absolutely no way in which currently accepted standards can be provided. The hospital is now seriously outdated. It should be replaced. ”

Dr Pollock did identify two small islands of excellence in the hospital; the Genetics and Diabetes complex and St. Louise’s Unit for Child Psychiatry.

Crumlin Children’s Hospital was built in the 1950s as a local hospital and has become the country’s main hospital for seriously sick children from all parts of Ireland and abroad. For many children, it is the only institution in this country with the expertise required to treat their illness.

Sadly, over the years, the hospital has been starved of serious capital investment and it has had to struggle with its own restrictive infrastructure to keep pace with modern health care demands.

Chairman of The New Crumlin Hospital Group said that the high quality of care that children receive at Crumlin must be matched by a suitable environment for the delivery of that care.

“The Government has committed €33 million for the development of new operating theatres and this is welcomed. But it is the first substantial investment in Crumlin’s infrastructure in more than 20 years. The hospital needs an investment of more than ten times that amount to bring its infrastructure up to accepted standards.”

“The role of The New Crumlin Hospital Group is to ensure that the resources that need to be delivered at Crumlin are delivered without delay.”

The New Crumlin Hospital Group is inviting parents and others from around the country to support the programme for the complete redevelopment of the hospital by contacting it through its website www.newcrumlinhospital.org.

Ends 26th February 2003

For further information contact:

Karl Anderson
Chairman – The New Crumlin Hospital Group - Mobile: 087 280 4700
Email: info@newcrumlinhospital.org

The Pollock Report is available to download at The New Crumlin Hospital Group’s Web Site

Background to Press Release

   Key findings of The Pollock Report
   About the New Crumlin Hospital Group
   Summary of Hospital Activity 1958 – 2002
   Dr Ronnie Pollock, MA.MB.BChir(Cantab)FFPHM

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