Latest news with #childrenshospital
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
National children's hospital builder completes only 60% of progress
The builder for the new national children's hospital has completed only 60 per cent of the progress it was supposed to have achieved by next month when the healthcare facility was due for substantial completion, politicians will be told on Thursday. On Saturday, The Irish Times reported the substantial completion of the healthcare facility has been delayed again until at least September, with patients now not expected to be treated at the facility until June 2026 at the earliest. The delay has been confirmed to members of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC), who will hold a meeting on the progress of the new hospital on Thursday morning. In his opening statement. David Gunning, chief executive of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), the body overseeing the project, will tell politicians contractor BAM has extended the substantial completion date from June to September 30th. READ MORE 'In the past seven months, BAM has achieved approximately 60 per cent of its planned progress set out within its programme,' the statement says. 'The NPHDB holds BAM to account across several programme KPIs [key performance indicators], and all of these are currently behind schedule.' Following the extension, Mr Gunning said the employer's representative, an independent party appointed to review claims on behalf of both sides, has 'formally requested that BAM submit a detailed programme setting out its actions and reasons for delays'. 'This further delay is a cause of great frustration. We acknowledge that the hospital is progressing, but BAM's pace is insufficient to meet the 30th June deadline it committed to,' his statement adds. Mr Gunning will say the contractor 'continues to submit a high volume of claims', but the net increase of these claims to date is about €50.5 million – excluding inflation. Asked about the delay to completion of the hospital last week, a spokesman for BAM said the project is at 'a very advanced stage and is well through the technical commissioning process'. After substantial completion, the hospital will be handed over to Children's Health Ireland (CHI), which will run the hospital once opened, for a nine month commissioning period. Lucy Nugent, chief executive of CHI, who is also due to appear before the PAC, will say commissioning the new hospital is a 'complex operation requiring meticulous planning, which is well advanced'. Ms Nugent will also provide an update on the healthcare group's financial statements. CHI returned a deficit of €7.8 million for 2023, she will say, which 'reflects the net impact of the incremental cost of provision of services as offset by increased funding received from the HSE by CHI'. The cumulative deficit at December 21st, 2023 amounted to €18 million, with Ms Nugent saying a 'substantial element of the balance relates to legacy deficits incurred prior to the establishment of CHI'.
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Children's hospital ‘never-ending saga', says Opposition after completion delayed until September
The new national children's hospital (NCH) is a 'never-ending saga', with deadlines becoming 'moving targets', Opposition politicians have said after it emerged the completion of the project has been delayed again until at least September. On Saturday, The Irish Times reported the substantial completion of the healthcare facility has been delayed again until at least September, with patients now not expected to be treated at the facility until June 2026 at the earliest. In September last, the contractor pledged the new substantial completion date for the hospital would be June 2025 – the 14th such date issued by the builder. However, it has now emerged this date will not be met. The national paediatric hospital development board (NPHDB), the body overseeing the project, is due to appear before politicians to update them on the hospital on Thursday. READ MORE Sinn Féin's health spokesman David Cullinane described the children's hospital as a 'never-ending saga' that is 'making a mockery' out of the taxpayer. 'What we have is the board saying the contractor is not deploying enough human resources; the company is pointing the finger at the board. All of this has to come to a stop eventually,' said Mr Cullinane. 'We need to know why there's been a further delay. We were told the most recent completion date [June] would be met, and now we hear it won't. I think the opening [to patients] of summer next year is widely optimistic. It's been delayed, delayed, delayed.' Mr Cullinane said it was an 'absolute shambles' to have 'completion date after completion date come and go'. 'Children who should have been treated in the hospital by 2022, now won't be seen until the middle of 2026,' he added. Labour health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said the delay is 'extremely frustrating' but 'not entirely unexpected'. 'The question we would have now is around cost and what impact this will have on activity for the three hospitals. Ultimately, it is very frustrating and even with the handover in September, that is still a very tight turnaround for the commissioning period,' she added. Social Democrats health spokesman Pádraig Rice said the hospital has to be 'one of the most botched capital projects in the history of the State'. 'Where is the political leadership? How many more delays before there is political accountability? How can we have any confidence that children will be treated in the hospital by June 2026?' he asked. 'Deadlines have become little more than moving targets,' he added before calling on Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to update the Dáil next week on the latest delay. Building on the site at St James's Hospital in Dublin began in 2016 after years of disagreement over the location of the hospital. The following eight years were marked by ballooning cost – from €987 million to €2.2 billion, with repeated delays exacerbated by an increasingly fractious relationship between the builders, BAM , and the NPHDB. Asked about further delays, a spokeswoman for the NPHDB said work towards substantial completion is 'continuing and approaching the final stages'. 'A key focus currently relates to the completion of all rooms and spaces within the hospital to the standard required by the contract, ie, snag free,' she said. 'This process is advancing. In addition, the technical commissioning is being undertaken and will continue until substantial completion.' A BAM spokesman said: 'The NCH project is at a very advanced stage and is well through the technical commissioning process. BAM is working closely with the NPHDB and CHI [Children's Health Ireland] to ensure early access for CHI.'
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
National children's hospital: Completion delayed until at least September
Substantial completion of the new national children's hospital has been delayed again until at least September, with patients now not expected to be treated at the facility until June 2026 at the earliest. Building on the site at St James's Hospital in Dublin began in 2016 after years of disagreement over the location of the hospital. The following eight years were marked by ballooning cost – from €987 million to €2.2 billion, with repeated delays exacerbated by an increasingly fractious relationship between the builders, BAM , and the board overseeing the project – the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) In September last, the contractor pledged the new substantial completion date for the hospital would be June 2025 – the 14th such date issued by the builder. READ MORE It has now emerged that this will not be met, with the new date forecast for September at the earliest. However, sources have indicated the NPHDB is not confident of completion by the new target timeline. This delay will have an impact as to when the hospital will open to patients. Following substantial completion, the hospital will be handed over to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) for operational commissioning, which takes nine months. During this phase, more than 36,000 pieces of clinical equipment will be installed, electronic health records will be integrated, and more than 4,000 staff from the three existing hospitals will be trained. However, The Irish Times understands a September date will have an impact on the commissioning period, as this is the beginning of winter activity, when respiratory illnesses surge. Clinical advice has suggested migration to the new hospital cannot be undertaken in winter due to 'clinical risks'. Consequently, sources familiar with the project have indicated it will be June at the earliest before patients are treated in the hospital. In light of the consistent delays to the project, NPHDB agreed with BAM that CHI could have access to the site from April to mitigate risks of delays to operational commissioning and to complete technical commissioning. This early access has not been granted, however, as areas selected for early access have not yet being completed to a contractual standard. It is understood that this early access will be provided in the coming weeks, but it is expected to be conducted on a phased basis. Asked about delays, a spokeswoman for NPHDB said work towards substantial completion is 'continuing and approaching the final stages'. 'A key focus currently relates to the completion of all rooms and spaces within the hospital to the standard required by the contract, ie, snag free,' the spokeswoman said. 'This process is advancing. In addition, the technical commissioning is being undertaken and will continue until substantial completion.' In a statement last week about early access, a Department of Health spokeswoman said all parties were working to 'minimise further delays' and the Government wanted to see the hospital open 'as soon as possible'. Asked about the delay, a BAM Ireland spokesman said: 'The NCH project is at a very advanced stage and is well through the technical commissioning process. BAM is working closely with the NPHDB and CHI to ensure early access for CHI.' The latest delay comes after significant tensions between BAM and the NPHDB, with the body previously alleging the contractor was holding the hospital 'hostage' to secure more funding from the State. The contractor denied these allegations and blamed late-stage design changes by the NPHDB for the delays. Next Thursday, the NPHDB, CHI, Seamus McCarthy, Comptroller and Auditor General, and staff from the department and Health Service Executive will appear before the Public Accounts Committee to update politicians on the project.
Irish Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Renovated Kilmainham redbrick close to new children's hospital for €645,000
Address : 5 Lorne Terrace, Brookfield Street, Kilmainham, Dublin 8 Price : €645,000 Agent : O'Mahony Auctioneers View this property on It may be six years late and coming in at a cost four times more than initially planned, but it looks like the new children's hospital in Dublin 8 is planned to finally open to patients in 2026. With the oval-shaped building now well-established on the city's skyline, the next issue will be for the thousands of nurses, doctors and key workers looking for accommodation close to their new workplace. The eventual opening of the 160,000sq m hospital is expected to lead to increased demand for housing in the surrounding area, so this might be a good time to invest before the Dublin 8 property market gets too hot. Number 5 Lorne Terrace on Brookfield Street has the hospital at the end of the road. It is being sold by O'Mahony Auctioneers with an asking price of €645,000. The 103sq m (1,108sq ft) redbrick is fresh from a full renovation and comes with an A2 energy rating. The owner bought the house in 2023 and completely gutted it and rebuilt it again, raising roofs and lowering floors to allow for as much light and space as possible. It is unusual to get a house in this area that is finished to such exacting standards, but at the time, the owner was planning to stay in the house long-term so designed it for himself. Future plans have changed recently, however, and he is now following friends farther afield. READ MORE Open-plan living area Kitchen Converted attic Bathroom Back yard The two-bedroom house has a small, railed garden to the front and a porch on the front entrance. The hallway has a herringbone floor with the open-plan living area to the right. The kitchen is to the front of the house and is fully fitted with sage-green units and comes with a fridge-freezer, oven with hob and dishwasher. The dining area is on the other side of the breakfast bar and has a wood-burning stove. [ Some of my neighbour's planning application appears to be factually incorrect. How can I raise this? Opens in new window ] Two steps lead down to the livingroom, which is filled with light thanks to the overhead roof light and the double glass sliding doors at the back that open out to a gravelled patio. Hidden away in the middle of the open-plan room is a utility and guest toilet. Upstairs there is a bathroom and two bedrooms, with the main bedroom having an en suite shower room. A full staircase has been built to give access to an attic room, which has been nicely converted and is large enough for a single bed and desk. The upgrades in the house include wiring, plumbing, air-to-water heating system with underfloor heating, and solar panels to the roof. The new sash windows are triple-glazed and there is wiring for an electric car charging point. The hospital is 200m away, with Kilmainham, Rialto village and the War Memorial Gardens all a short walk away.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Golisano Children's Hospital teens enjoy magical prom night
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Golisano Children's Hospital hosted its ninth annual prom event Saturday night. Golisano officials described the prom as a magical event designed to bring smiles to the faces of adolescent patients being treated at the hospital. The event is an opportunity for kids to create treasured life long memories who may have missed out on typical school-year milestones. 'It's really important when you're a teen to be able to be a teen and do teen things,' Chief Nurse Kate Valcin said. 'It's actually really important for their development and their ability to live their best life and that's what we want for them and you shouldn't be defined by a diagnosis you should be able to be yourself with your friends dancing and having fun doing all of the prom things that happen this time of year.' There was delicious food, plenty of dancing, and even some raffle prize baskets: including self care items, Lego sets, candy, and other treats. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
