Sod turned at family accommodation unit for new children’s hospital

Construction of a charity’s multimillion-euro accommodation unit at the site of the new children’s hospital in Dublin begins this month.

The new family accommodation unit will provide space for 52 families every night, who have children receiving treatment in the new children’s hospital.

In addition to bedrooms, there will also be communal kitchen facilities where families can prepare meals, as well as shared common areas such as living rooms, playrooms, reading rooms, laundry facilities and outdoor spaces.

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, and the chief executive of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, joined teams from Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland (RMHC), Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) on Thursday for a sod-turning ceremony at the site.

Located across the road from the new children’s hospital, it will be connected to the healthcare facility at basement level – ensuring direct access day or night.

The facility will be operated by the Ronald McDonald House charity (RHMC), which has the McDonald’s fast food chain as its largest corporate partner.

The charity has already operated the Ronald McDonald House at CHI Crumlin for 20 years and says more than 5,000 families from across the island of Ireland have used its services.

Currently, 20 families are accommodated at any one time in the Ronald McDonald House at CHI Crumlin and the new Ronald McDonald House will more than double capacity.

Clancy Construction has been appointed to design and build the new facility, with construction expected to be complete by Q3 next year.

Also in attendance at the sod turning was the O’Loughlin family from Wexford. Seven-year-old Darragh O’Loughlin is a patient of CHI and his family have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House at CHI Crumlin for periods of time when needed.

His mother Rose Marie O’Loughlin said: “Darragh was born in Wexford General Hospital and after only 24 hours it was clear he needed additional care and was transferred by ambulance to CHI Crumlin. At two days old, he had his first investigative cath lab procedure and was scheduled for open heart surgery.

“We were far from home, terrified and had not planned for this. We got a room in the Ronald McDonald House, and it is difficult to put into words what a difference this made us.

“We had two other children at home and a room in the House meant that we could all stay together, sit down to a meal together, play in the playroom and visit the hospital. Darragh ended up in hospital for 19 weeks at that time and requires ongoing follow-up care. I cannot express the difference Ronald McDonald House makes to our family and thousands of families like us.”

Minister Donnelly said: “I am delighted to be here today to mark the commencement of construction of this new facility, and to be marking another positive milestone in the delivery of the new children’s hospital project.

“We know from the families that provision of family accommodation removes a significant amount of stress and anxiety at what is already an anxious and upsetting time for children and their parents or guardians. We are delighted to be partnering with RMHC Ireland again on this project.”

Mr Gloster said the new facility will mean that families have direct access to their children whenever they are spending time in the new children’s hospital.

He added: “RMHC Ireland has been providing incredible and important support for families for decades. The charity has provided a fantastic and valuable service at CHI Crumlin for over two decades, ensuring that families can stay close to their children when they are in hospital.”

RMHC Ireland chairperson Marion Carroll said annual capacity will increase from 300 families to up to 800.

She said: “In our new Ronald McDonald House, we will embrace and hug even more families offering them love, solace, strength, and a place they can call home at the most difficult of times.

Construction on more than 4,000 square meter facility begins this month.

RMHC is contributing 10 million euro in capital funding for the design and construction of the new family accommodation unit at the new children’s hospital, with balance being funded by the HSE through its annual capital allocation under the National Development Plan.

RMHC will be fully responsible for all operational costs, expected to be 1.5 million euro each year.

In addition, RMHC is gifting the Ronald McDonald House site at CHI Crumlin to the State.

The cost of the children’s hospital itself has soared to a massive 2.2 billion euro, from an initial estimated cost of 650 million euro in 2014.

The Government has said the hospital would be completed later this year and would begin to treat children next year.