Blanchardstown bids for hospital

Proposals to co-locate the children's hospital on the Connolly Memorial Hospital site in Blanchardstown, Dublin are being officially launched today.

The plans are among those being considered by the review group on the national children’s hospital.

The group's report is expected to be received by Minister for Health James Reilly by Friday.

The group, chaired by Dr Frank Dolphin, was set up by Dr Reilly after An Bord Pleanála rejected the original plans for the €650 million hospital at the Mater site in Dublin’s north inner city.

The latest proposal is to co-locate the children’s hospital on the 150 acre campus at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown with the adult hospital. It is supported by Connolly Hospital, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Beaumont Hospital.

“It has 150 acres so it is truly a site for the next 200 years,” Dr Trevor Duffy clinical director at Connolly Hospital said.

The cost of the proposed hospital is €424 million with an expected date of 2016.

“It should be the cheapest,” Dr Duffy added.

Among the benefits are access as the site has a slip road off the M50 motorway, he said. Separately costings for a new proposal for the children’s hospital at the Mater site have been revised downwards by a group backing the site.

The Mater – Temple Street – Rotunda partnership said it would cost €477 million to build a new children’s hospital and Rotunda maternity hospital at the Mater site and an Ambulatory care centre at Tallaght hospital.

The plan would use some of the old Mater building, receive commercial revenue sources (car-park, restaurants, shops), a contribution from the Rotunda and would see savings from shared services and clinical efficiencies with the Rotunda.

“Our three hospitals used our recent design and build experience for the new Mater adult hospital to identify potential cost savings and income sources" Donal Walsh, chairman of the board of the Mater children's university hospital.

"This is the most competitive and cost effective project budget under consideration,” he added.

The Dolphin group, which was tasked with looking at the implications of the decision by An Bord Pleanála and drawing up an options document for Government, had originally been due to submit its report last month but sought an extension due to the volume of applications.