A new paediatric outpatient and emergency care unit opens in Tallaght Hospital today.
It comes at a time when the three children's hospitals are curtailing services for the third week in a row due to a surge in respiratory and winter illnesses.
The new unit is one of two satellite centres that are part of the 1.4 billion euro new National Children's Hospital, which will be completed in 2024.
The emergency unit will operate 24 hours a day and includes 2 triage rooms including a modern well equipped resuscitation room, a designated area for minor injuries and procedures and 16 single examination and treatment rooms.
The outpatient department has 13 consultation rooms for Monday to Friday appointments in general and specialist paediatrics including neurodisability, and orthopaedics. A new medical forensic examination suite and clinic for child sexual assault counselling and therapy services is also included.
The facilities are designed and built for children, young people and their families. There are a number of changing facilities, areas designated for breast feeding and specialist sensory areas within the ECU and Outpatient Department.
When fully operational the Tallaght unit is expected to provide 17 thousand extra outpatient slots and cater to more than 30 thousand emergency care presentations a year.
