The chief executive of Temple Street children's hospital in Dublin has criticised the terms of reference set by the Government for a review that will determine the shape of hospital services for children, writes Martin Wall.
Medical consultants at the hospital fear plans to relocate the facility as part of a €500 million redevelopment of the Mater hospital campus are in jeopardy.
Last night consultant ophthalmologist at Temple Street, Prof Michael O'Keeffe, criticised Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for not delivering the planned new hospital in his own constituency.
"This hospital is a badly needed project for sick children in north Dublin and I can't understand how the most powerful politician in the country can't deliver it as promised," Prof O'Keeffe said.
The chief executive of Temple Street, Paul Cunniffe, wrote to the head of the Health Service Executive, Prof Brendan Drumm, earlier this month expressing concerns at the terms of reference drawn up for the review which is being carried out by external consultants. Mr Cunniffe said the tender documentation for the review provided "misleading" information about services provided in his hospital.
He said it understated and played down vital services such as the national metabolic programme and the paediatric renal transplant programme.
Mr Cunniffe said the consultants carrying out the review were not asked to consider moving Our Lady's hospital in Crumlin onto the campus of an adult hospital, and they had not been required to consult with those providing services.
He was critical of the fact that the review would not recommend a specific location for a centralised service or any timescale for the project. Yesterday sources close to Minister for Health Mary Harney strongly denied reports she was seeking to bring a new centralised children's hospital to a site in her constituency.
Prof Drumm said the review, which will examine whether specialist chilren's services should be based on a single hospital site, would be completed this week. He described reports of a rift between Mr Ahern and Ms Harney as "totally unwarranted".
Some medical sources claimed yesterday that Fianna Fáil politicians on Dublin's northside had encouraged doctors to campaign on the issue.