Policies

About the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (the “NPHDB”) was established by the Minister for Health & Children by Statutory Instrument (S.I.) 246 of 2007 on 23rd May 2007.
The NPHDB is responsible for planning, designing, building, equipping and furnishing a new children’s hospital in accordance with the high-level framework brief which was commissioned by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The brief includes advice on the preferred national network of paediatric care, on the core services to be delivered at the new children’s hospital, and on the additional range of services to be provided outside of the main hospital. This includes an assessment of the range of services to be provided through the paediatric outpatients and urgent care centres, and the preferred location(s) for these services, taking account of international best practice in the planning of children’s hospital services.

Functions of the NPHDB

The functions of the NPHDB, as outlined in S.I. 246 of 2007, are:

  • to plan, design, build, furnish and equip a national paediatric hospital (‘the new children’s hospital’) in accordance with a brief approved by the Health Services Executive (“the HSE”) with the prior consent of the Minister, and subject to any subsequent variations to this brief as may be determined by the HSE in consultation with the NPHDB, and with the prior consent of the Minister; and
  • do any other thing as is necessary for the performance of its functions.

The other functions of the NPHDB are currently undertaken by the Children’s Hospital Group Board (CHGB). These functions are as follows:

  • in consultation with the relevant hospitals, prepare plans for the transfer of services from the relevant hospitals to the hospital;
  • in consultation with the relevant hospitals, prepare a human resource strategy for the transfer to the new children’s hospital; and
  • explore the possibility of securing philanthropic contributions to meet all or part of the capital cost of developing the hospital, and foster the philanthropic interests that already exist in relation to the provision of paediatric services.

Responsibility for these functions passed to the CHGB on the13th September 2013, as set out in an operational agreement between the NPHDB, the CHGB and the HSE and approved by the Department of Health. Legislation is currently being prepared for Government approval to formally establish the CHGB, and amend the statutory functions of the NPHDB accordingly.

Membership of the NPHDB

Under the terms of the Statutory Instrument, the Minister for Health may appoint thirteen members to the Board – a Chairperson and twelve ordinary members https://newchildrenshospital.ie/the-project/the-national-paediatric-hospital-development-board/