Children playing and exploring is completely natural… but sometimes even the most fearless superheroes have accidents that can result in a visit to the Emergency Department …

ED (Emergency Department) is a bustling, busy environment. It can be stressful for an adult when they come through our doors for care – so for
children, this can be amplified.

20% of all emergency department patients are children.

In the Emergency Department we see children for any number of reasons:

If one child needs urgent care, they are accompanied by an adult and often siblings may need to come to ED too, if there is no one else available to care for them. And waiting around can lead to restlessness, understandably.

It is our responsibility to care for the child and provide a safe environment for those with them – parents, guardian, siblings, etc.

The creation of a Children’s ED in Cork University hospital is long overdue and in light of Covid 19, more essential than ever.

An additional benefit of creating this designated paediatric area is that this will free up space within the main emergency department. This will increase corridor free space and support the delivery of trauma care as we honour our designation as  a major trauma centre.

The NEW Children’s Emergency Department will include:

“When a parent brings a child to the Emergency Department we want to remove as much stress as possible – for the parent and the child. This safer, calmer, child-friendly environment will benefit any family that walks through our doors. And also give our staff tools to help distract or entertain children during medical procedures or assessments.”
Rory O’Brien
Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine