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 the Children’s ED in Cork University hospital was long overdue and more essential than ever.

An additional benefit of the Children’s ED creating is the freed up space within the main emergency department. ED corridor spaces has been freed up and the support for the delivery of trauma care has increased as we honour our designation as a major trauma centre.

The Children’s Emergency Department includes:

“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 benefits any family that walks through our doors. And it also gives our staff tools to help distract or entertain children during medical procedures or assessments.”
Rory O’Brien
Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine