THE new €2.2billion National Children’s Hospital will struggle to attract staff put off by a lack of parking and accommodation, Dr David Moore fears.
The Head of the spinal unit at CHI wants Crumlin Hospital to be rebuilt into accommodation for healthcare workers.
He believes the facilities, including 22 operating theatres, will be “second to none.”
However, he warned: “I suppose the big concern is staffing. I think everyone has a concern about whether all the staff from the current hospitals will move.
“There are all sorts of issues about the costs of housing in Dublin, parking down there and they are all the practicalities.
“People will say, ‘Can’t you get the Luas or Dart of bus or cycle to work’, and that’s fine, but not if you’re coming from Meath or Kildare or Mullingar as lots of staff do.
“I think staffing would be one issue. To me that is the biggest issue.
“I would use here (Crumlin). This site. I’ve long ago proposed that this be used as an elective surgical centre for adults – you just need bigger beds.
“But you can build – we’re in the nurses home. We’re on the fourth floor of the old nurses home. Knock it down and build accommodation for the new hospital and for St James’ Hospital and the Coombe – wherever they want I don’t care.
“But that accommodation is going to be a big issue.”
He added: “We all have anecdotal experience of listening to people say, ‘Oh I’m not going to go to the new hospital’.
“There are some people who are really excited by it and I would be very excited about going there but there are certainly a cohort of staff who say they are not sure they will go there for lots of different reasons.”
The long delayed National Children’s Hospital in Dublin has been pushed back 14 times with the latest opening date expected to be the end of next year.
The cost of the hospital has spiralled to €2.2 billion with a series of disputes between the developer BAM and the hospital board.
Our Kids Can’t Wait Campaign
WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries.
Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
