The British consultants preparing a framework for the development of a national children's hospital on the Mater site in Dublin are required to consult with "relevant stakeholders", including Our Lady's children's hospital in Crumlin.
The brief given by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the consultants - London-based healthcare strategists Rawlinson Kelly Whittlestone (RKW) - also requires them to review the report produced by the Crumlin hospital last September.
This report, A World Class Tertiary Children's Hospital for Ireland, argued that the site available at the Mater hospital is too small and inaccessible for such a facility and that it should be built instead on a greenfield site in the suburbs.
RKW, which was selected after a competitive tender, has the task of producing a framework brief for the proposed Hospital Development Board, to form the basis for its work in developing a design brief for the hospital and having it built.
The consultants have been told to base their brief "on international best practice and an understanding of latest thinking and current trends in relation to paediatric hospital services" and to apply these to the planned Mater project. Their report is to deal with the hospital's national paediatric role, including its tertiary remit, as the "nexus of one integrated national paediatric service, including reference to the potential for development of cross-border links in specialist areas".
The consultants have also been asked to recommend how many subsidiary "ambulatory/urgent care centres" would be required and detail what services - such as outpatients, day surgery and medical procedures these centres would provide.
RKW will also be looking at how proposed on-site maternity services should be developed to "maximise the benefits of appropriate clinical adjacencies (including neo-natal services) with the paediatric and adult hospitals on a shared site".
Other areas to be examined by the consultants include outreach from the national children's hospital to other paediatric facilities outside of Dublin and developing alternative models of care, such as the "hospital at home" concept.
To maximise the benefits of co-location with an acute general hospital, RKW has been asked to examine both exclusive and shared clinical and non-clinical services, integration and research linkages, and other functions requiring space.
The consultants must also consider issues particular to paediatric hospital facilities, such as accommodation for parents, play, school and single room provision - all points raised by the Our Lady's children's hospital report last September.
For planning purposes, their framework brief "should propose a gross total floor area requirement" for the children's hospital, bearing in mind that 65,000sq m (699,660sq ft) had been estimated by the HSE/Department of Health Task Group.
RKW has been given 10 weeks to complete its work. Subject to satisfactory performance, its commission could be extended to include an advisory role on the design of the hospital.
