After many years of debate and negotiation, construction on Ireland’s new, and urgently needed, children’s hospital is finally underway. The New Children’s Hospital (NCH) will bring Ireland’s three leading children’s Hospitals (Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght) together under one roof for the very first time – creating a new national centre for pediatric care.
Providing families with immediate and unhindered access to the hospital is essential. As a result, the Health Service Executive (HSE) have provided a prime and central location for the new Ronald McDonald House in the new hospital grounds – enabling families easy access to their child’s ward without ever having to step outside.
To ensure that our new House could continue to provide the same remarkable support to the families of seriously ill children, Ronald McDonald House Charity assembled a unique group of medical experts, engineers and stakeholders to help design the new House. At the heart of that advisory group was the voice of the families who have stayed here. Every inch of the new House was designed to meet the specific and unique needs of parents and families of seriously ill children.
When a child is critically ill their condition can change at a moment’s notice. The new Ronald McDonald House will sit at the very heart of the new hospital campus – allowing families immediate and easy access to the hospital.
A good night’s sleep is priceless. Each family room in the new House will be ensuite and will sleep a family of four – with extra sleeping arrangements available for larger families.
The new House will contain a specially designed “Quiet Room” where families can find a few moments of peace and relaxation.
Research indicates that play is an important part of a child’s ability to cope. The new Ronald McDonald House will have numerous play areas specifically designed for critically ill children and their siblings.
Togetherness is essential in order to maintain a sense of normal family life. The new House will be divided into family living areas providing kitchen, playroom and laundry services.
Each room will provide parents with a direct and dedicated phoneline to their child’s ward in the hospital so they never feel removed from their children and can be reached immediately.
Sandra Ryan
Rosie Conneely
The average length of a family's stay in the Ronald McDonald House is 23 days.
The longest stay by one family in the Ronald McDonald House has been 889 nights.
The new Children’s Hospital will be the centre for the care and treatment of critically ill children from all over Ireland.
The new Ronald McDonald House will be a vital home-from-home for families from every county and every town in Ireland.
To date, the Ronald McDonald House beside Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin has cared for families from all over Ireland.
