Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) is to be subsumed into the Health Service Executive (HSE) following months of controversy at the healthcare group.
The operator of paediatric healthcare has faced significant issues in recent months, particularly in relation to the operation of its orthopaedic and spinal services.
CHI is currently an independent entity to the HSE that operates the three children’s hospitals at Tallaght, Crumlin and Temple Street.
It is also due to operate the new national children’s hospitalexpected to open next year and will incorporate the three existing hospitals.
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In a statement on Wednesday morning, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she had decided to integrate CHI into the HSE after reflecting on Government structures “for some months”.
“The national children’s hospital Ireland will be the central hub in the network of paediatric care with links to regional paediatric units, operated overwhelmingly by the HSE. Accordingly, I have decided to integrate CHI into the HSE structure,” Ms Carroll MacNeill said.
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“The background of CHI was the integration of three very different paediatric hospitals with a view to moving to a single dedicated specialist paediatric hospital. We are very close to that hospital being delivered and operational and it is therefore time to further integrate paediatric care formally into the HSE.”
Ms Carroll MacNeill said it will transition “both operationally and legislatively” in 2027.
She informed Lucy Nugent, CHI chief executive, of the change on Tuesday evening.
She said she wanted to ensure quality and continuity of care was provided to children.
“For our wonderful staff in CHI, who are working so hard every day to provide excellent care to our children, I want to say to you that we enormously value you and your contribution to paediatric care. We are working to support you in your work and towards the new national children’s hospital Ireland.”
The Minister also announced that Dr Yvonne Traynor, an existing CHI board member, has been appointed as chairperson of the CHI board, replacing Dr Jim Browne who stepped down earlier this year.
Former chief executive of Barnardos Fergus Finlay and Suzanne Garvey, director of nursing and director of clinical hospital operations at the Beacon Hospital, have joined the board, she added.
Responding to the announcement, Úna Keightley, co-lead of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group, called for answers as to why the Government had made a U-turn on the issue.
“In April, after the damning Hiqa (Health Information and Quality Authority) report into children’s spinal surgeries, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin stood on the floor of the Dáil and said he backed the CHI board,” she said.
“Just five months on, the whole organisation is being subsumed into the HSE – a complete U-turn by Government. What has... led to this decision? There needs to be transparency.”
She called on the Minister to meet advocacy groups to explain the situation.
Speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday, Bernard Gloster, chief executive of the HSE, said the decision was “very significant”
He sought to reassure children and families who receive care in a range of specialities that they can be “confident in the service” provided.
“There is no doubt and no getting away from the fact that CHI has had very serious problems and issues, particularly in relation to spinal and orthopaedic care,” he said.
He said the final report on spinal services – an independent report by Dr Selvadurai Nayagam – would not be completed until close to Christmas or early next year.
According to Mr Gloster, there will be no job losses associated with the merger, and the incorporation will have little to no effect on patients.
