CHI hospitals to transfer to HSE control by 2027 in major restructuring
Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said CHI already includes three hospitals – Temple Street, Crumlin, and Tallaght children’s hospital – under its banner. File picture
The hospitals under Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) will be run by the HSE from 2027, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill announced in a shock statement on Wednesday.
Families with children in the hospitals called for transparency, saying the change follows more than two years of upheaval at CHI.
One mother described the move as “a u-turn” on commitments to back the CHI board made by the HSE and senior politicians, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
A new chairwoman has been appointed, along with two new board members, including Fergus Finlay, a former HSE board member.
Ms Carroll MacNeill said CHI already includes three hospitals – Temple Street, Crumlin, and Tallaght children’s hospital – under its banner.
She said it is time to “further integrate paediatric care formally into the HSE” ahead of the move to the new National Children’s Hospital.
The minister said she has spent “some months" reviewing governance structures in the health service.
“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,” she said.
“Accordingly, I have decided to integrate CHI into the HSE structure.”
The minister moved to reassure families: “The most important thing for any young person in the care of CHI or for a parent of child in the care of CHI is that this transition will not impact on your day-to-day care.”
She added: “This is a steady process that began with the appointment of some HSE Board members, is confirmed today and will transition both operationally and legislatively with implementation in 2027.”
Addressing staff, she said they are valued and will be supported in the move to the new hospital.
“We are working to support you in your work and towards the new National Children’s Hospital Ireland.”
Reacting to the news, Una Keightly, co-founder of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group, called for transparency about the decision-making process.
“In April, after the daming Hiqa report into children’s spinal surgeries, the Taoiseach Micheal Martin stood on the floor of the Dail and said he backed the CHI board,” she said.
“Now just five months on, the whole organisation is being subsumed into the HSE – this is a complete U-turn by the government.”
She asked: “what has been discovered that led to this decision, there needs to be transparency.”
The frustrated mother also urged the health minister to explain the timing.
“When we met with the minister in May and outlined the failures of care in scoliosis and spina bifida children’s care, we asked for this to occur – and were told it was not an option being explored," she said.
The HSE and CHI have been approached for comment.
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