The chief executive of another children's hospital has entered the debate over where certain highly specialised paediatric services for the State's children should be provided in future.
Michael Lyons, chief executive of Tallaght hospital, which incorporates the National Children's Hospital, said the vast weight of international evidence overwhelmingly favours locating specialist children's care on the site of a major adult hospital.
If the review of international best practice commissioned by the Health Service Executive from independent consultants McKinsey & Co also found this to be the case, then the State's paediatric tertiary referral centre should be sited at Tallaght hospital, he said.
The report from McKinsey & Co is to be delivered to HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm today. It will be discussed by the board of the HSE tomorrow and published on Friday.
The review's aim was to establish whether highly specialised or tertiary paediatric services should be provided at one or more locations. But those conducting the review were not asked to state where the services should be located. This decision will be made by the HSE.
At present tertiary care is provided at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin and Temple Street Children's Hospital, both in Dublin.
Earlier this month the chief executive of Temple Street, Paul Cunniffe, wrote to Prof Drumm criticising the terms of reference for the review. He said McKinsey & Co was not asked to consider moving Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin on to the campus of an adult hospital (Temple Street is due to move to the Mater hospital campus) and had not been required to consult those providing services.
All the children's hospitals will be hoping to be chosen to provide the specialised services.
Mr Lyons said yesterday that best medical practice and children's needs should be the main impetus for the discussion as to where services are located.
"The fundamental issue is whether tertiary paediatric services are best delivered through a stand-alone children's hospital or through a paediatric hospital on the site of a major national adult hospital. That is the issue to decide first," he said.
"Only with this behind us should we debate the more institutional and geographical questions."
However, he said "the vast weight of international evidence" favoured locating specialist children's facilities on the site of a major adult hospital.