EARLY INDICATIONS are that those conducting a financial analysis of the decision to build the new national children’s hospital on the site of Dublin’s Mater hospital believe the location should not change.
An independent review of the controversial decision to locate the hospital at the site was announced last month by Minister for Health James Reilly and a report from the review group is due to be presented to him this week.
At least one of the members of the review team looking at the costings of the €650 million project visited children’s hospitals in Dublin on Friday.
Informed sources said that following his visit there were indications that, from a costings viewpoint, the hospital designed for the Mater site, if altered somewhat, could prove better value than starting to plan at another site. Some €29.3 million has already been spent on the project.
It is unclear as yet whether the clinical review of the project by the chief executives of four children’s hospitals in Boston, Colorado, Queensland and London will also opt for the Mater site.
They were to examine whether the potential benefits, if any, of locating a children’s hospital beside an adult hospital on the Mater site outweighed any concerns about cost, design, and access.
A spokesman for Dr Reilly said yesterday the Minister would not be commenting until he received the report of the review group.
When announcing the review, Dr Reilly reiterated the Government’s commitment to the construction of a new children’s hospital and the need to ensure the project is delivered in the most cost-effective way and with the maximum benefit for patients.
Briefing documents for the Minister stated the project could cost about €50 million less if built on a greenfield site.