Founded in 1872, the Children's University Hospital, Temple Street is an Acute Paediatric Hospital serving Dublin North City and County and providing a secondary and tertiary referral and care service both regionally and nationally. It is the only inner city children's Hospital and as such, its cachement includes areas of the south inner city.

The Hospital is the National Centre for Inherited Metabolic Disorders and operates the National Screening Laboratory, which screens all newborn children for a range of inherited conditions. Additionally, the Children's University Hospital is the National Centre for Paediatric Ophthalmology, the National Craniofacial Centre, the National Airway Management Centre and the National Meningococcal Reference Laboratory. The National Sudden Infant Death Register is also located in the Hospital. Major specialities include Neonatal and Paediatric Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology, Orthopaedic, ENT and Plastic Surgery. The Casualty service with 50,000 attendance's per annum is one of the largest in the country and is the biggest paediatric casualty department nationally.

In addition to the full range of in-patient and out-patient services, St. Frances Clinic provides services for Child Guidance, Psychology, Speech and Audiology, while St. Clare's Unit provides an assessment service for children suspected of having been sexually abused. The Hospital has the full range of clinical and paramedical services to support an acute paediatric Hospital including a comprehensive Laboratory and Radiology service.

A staff of 64 consultants and over 800 other full time and part-time nursing, paramedical and other staff provide the delivery of care.

In the field of training and teaching, the Children's University Hospital is linked to both the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. The Professor of Paediatrics at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the Associate Professor of Paediatrics at University College Dublin and their support and teaching facilities are housed in a dedicated facility in St. George's Hall. The School of Nursing provides 100 places for postgraduate nurses training in Sick Children's Nursing. An extensive programme of continuation training is provided to nursing staff at all levels. Facilities are also provided for training students in Radiography, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Psychiatric and Medical Social Work, Audiology and Dietetics.

Strong links to other Hospitals at consultant level have been built up in recent years. Both the Rotunda and National Maternity Hospitals are linked at Neonatologist level and all of the Rotunda and half of the National Maternity Neonates requiring specialist treatment are referred to the Children's University Hospital. We also provide the paediatric cover to Beaumont Hospital and through shared appointments provide the necessary paediatric support and specialist treatment to the Central Remedial Clinic, Daughters of Charity Services and St. Michael's House. Very successful shared consultant appointments exist with the Mater Hospital in areas of Orthopaedics, Urology, Ophthalmology, ENT, Plastic Surgery and Anaesthetics. Other institutions with shared appointments are Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children.

Hospital facilities while old, have been updated and upgraded and in recent years have included the building of a new theatre suite, new clinical laboratories, a major extension to out-patients incorporating a total refurbishment to the existing OPD, a new clinical facilities for metabolic diseases and the conversion of an existing ward to a dedicated metabolic ward. The most recent development has been the new 7 day surgical ward called St. Gabriels which greatly enhances the Hospitals surgical capacity and capabilities.

Undoubtedly, the most significant development for the Hospital in its long history is the recent decision that the Children's University Hospital will relocate to the Mater Campus in a new dedicated stand alone building. This opens up exciting opportunities for the Hospital including possibilities for sharing and accessing the high tech facilities of a large acute Hospital.

To facilitate and expedite this new development, the Religious Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of Mercy have set up a new company, Mater & Children's Hospital Development Ltd. A government commitment of €325 million as part of the National Development Plan has enabled the planning of the entire project to get underway as one single development and the Design Team has been appointed.

The new building will incorporate the latest thinking in paediatric Hospital design and as a state of the art Hospital, will enable the Children's University Hospital to face the new millennium with confidence and assurance.