1 April 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie

Cork people are being asked to dig deep next week to support a dedicated Paediatric emergency department at CUH

Jim Burke, left, Ambulance driver with BUMBLEance; Cathal Deasy and Gabrielle Hogan (centre), UCC Medical Society, Dr Rory O’Brien, CUH Paediatric Emergency Medicine and Jean Marsh, Clinical Nurse Manager, CUH, ahead of the collection day for CUH Children’s Emergency Department and the Children’s Ambulance Service BUMBLEance, taking place on April 9. Picture: Brian Lougheed.

Up to 100 medical students from UCC’s Medical Society are organising a city-wide street collection on April 9 to get the €750,000 facility up and running.

The new children’s ED aims to remove as much stress as possible and promises to deliver a “safer, calmer, child-friendly environment”.

UCC Medical Society’s charity officer, Gabrielle Hogan, said the fundraiser strengthens the bond between students and CUH – thousands of medical students have trained at the hospital over the years.

“It is a street collection involving around 100 medical student volunteers, most of them first and second years, who will be placed all around the city.

“There will be musical performances too as we are collaborating with the UCC Trad Society,” said the third-year student.

Funds raised will be evenly split between the CUH Charity Children’s ED appeal and BUMBLEance – the national ambulance service for children.

The new ED will provide a dedicated waiting area, baby changing room, family room, two triage rooms, a procedure room, resus space, six treatment cubicles (including a specialised sensory cubicle and CAMHS cubicle) and access to an enclosed courtyard.

It will also free up space within the main emergency department.

“We are delighted to be working with UCC Medical Society again in 2022. As CUH is the largest university teaching hospital in Ireland, we have a long standing relationship with the college and their societies,” said Claire Concannon of CUH Charity.

“Funds raised will be used in the development of the first children’s-only emergency department outside Dublin. With complete audio visual separation, this will provide a safer, age appropriate, calmer environment for children who present to the emergency department and their families. Funding is necessary to make this a world class facility in Munster.”

Around 20% of all ED patients are children presenting with major trauma, fractures, high temperatures, mental health issues and acute illness.

Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Rory O’Brien, said the new department will “benefit any family that walks through our doors”.

“It will also give our staff the tools to help distract or entertain children during medical procedures or assessments,” he said.

Heather Rainey of BUMBLEance said the organisation completes approximately 750,000km a year, ferrying 160 children per month as they travel between their homes and hospitals, hospices, treatment centres, and respite centres nationwide.

“We have seen an unfortunate rise in the need for our service in recent years and are committed to helping as many children and families as possible,” she said.

“Fundraising events like this are vital to BUMBLEance, to ensure we can cater to the ever-growing number of children around Ireland that need our service.”

If you can not physically donate on the day, you can support the Children’s ED/BUMBLEance appeal online at: www.idonate.ie/MedDay