(021) 427 1971    

Paediatrics

Description

The hospital is a university hospital and the paediatricians have fourth medical and final medical students assigned to the ward and clinics.  Also, the paediatric consultants are trainers of qualified doctors who are pursuing a career in paediatrics or general practice.  We facilitate placement of general nursing students and also integrate general and paediatric nursing students in St. Anne's paediatric ward from University College Cork (UCC).
 
Paediatrics currently has 16 inpatient beds and accommodates 7 day-case beds.  We routinely refer children to specialist centres as necessary. Approximately 5,000 children attend the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) emergency department (ED) per year, and typically, over 1,000 children are admitted per year.  Children who attend the ED with a General Practitioner (GP) letter of referral are seen directly by the paediatric team on-call.
 
Haematology oncology children are cared for in the Leukaemia Unit as a shared-care arrangement with Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin oncology service.  We work closely with our colleagues in the tertiary centres in Dublin at Our Lady's Hospital for Children in Crumlin and Children's University Hospital, Temple Street.  The paediatric neurologist works 2 days per week at MUH with children who require specialist neurology care.
 
The ward accommodates approximately 2,000 paediatric day cases a year.  These cases can include paediatric surgery and various medical investigations.  Medical investigations such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain and bloods are facilitated by sedation where necessary. Botox injections are provided under general anaesthetic or sedation to children attending the spasticity management clinic - Enable Ireland, School of the Divine Child, Lavanagh, Ballintemple, Cork.
  

About the Team / Services

  • Dr. Enright and Dr. Barry attend outside clinics for the neuro-disability service for children younger than 16 years at COPE Foundation, Enable Ireland, CoAction - West Cork, St. Joseph's Foundation - Co. Cork and Brothers of Charity Southern Services.  They also attend the early intervention forums in Blackpool, North Cork and West Cork.
  • Dr. O'Mahony holds a paediatric neurology clinic at MUH once per week and provides a consult service for children with chronic neurological problems.  She is assisted by a paediatric registrar and clinical nurse specialist.
  • Dr. Rafferty holds a general paediatric clinic at MUH twice per week.
  • Dr. Enright holds a general paediatric clinic at MUH every week for GP referrals and referrals from area medical officer developmental clinics from North Lee and North Cork.
  • Dr. Barry holds a weekly clinic in MUH and is the current Dean of the faculty of Paediatrics at Royal College of Physicians Ireland, Dublin (RCPI).
  • Dr. Audrone Giedriatiane covers some clinics for Dr. Barry and Dr. O'Mahony.

The five consultants are supported by highly trained and experienced paediatric nurses, paediatric secretaries, ward clerks, clinical nurse specialists, paediatric senior house officers, paediatric registrars, healthcare assistants and catering assistant.

There is a paediatric registrar designated to each consultant and they carry a bleep (they can be contacted through the switchboard if queries arise on children attending that service).

Clinical nurse specialist for children with intellectual disability, Ms. Eimear Daly, deals with queries as they arise.

Clinical nurse specialists for oncology, Ms. Peg O'Riordan and Ms. Olga Buckley, support families attending Dr. Ryan's haematology / oncology service.

Paediatric secretary, Ms. Mary Ita Murphy, deals with queries that arise on children attending services of Dr. Rafferty and Dr. O'Mahony.

Ms. Melissa McSweeney, paediatric secretary to Dr. Barry and Dr. Enright, deals with queries that arise on children attending their hospital clinics. Children attending their outside community clinics should contact the co-ordinator of those outside clinics directly.

Referrals on alleged child sexual abuse should be sent to the family centre fax number (021-492 3192) during working hours, where it will be discussed with the appropriate consultant.  After hours, these children go to the emergency department or to SouthDoc who can refer to the consultant paediatrician on-call or fax a referral to the family centre the next working day. 

The team consults hospital physiotherapy services where necessary and dieticians for peg-fed children or newly diagnosed chronic disease.  The ward works closely with social workers, electroencephalogram (EEG) technician and the radiology department.  All children attending for surgery are admitted jointly under surgeons and paediatricians.  The phlebotomy service in the outpatients department takes blood from children who do not require sedation (Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am - 4 pm).

Location

Paediatrics is located in St. Anne's Ward, fourth floor - Catherine McAuley Block.
 

Opening Hours

Paediatrics provides a 24-hour service and after 5 pm and at weekends / bank holidays it is maintained by a paediatric registrar, senior house officer and the pan-city consultant on-call as per rota.
 

Contact Numbers

Telephone:  021-493 5317 or 021-493 5217.
 

Appointments

Clinic times at Mercy University Hospital:
 
  • Dr. Barry - Monday morning.
 
  • Dr. Rafferty - Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
 
  • Dr. O'Mahony - Tuesday morning.
 
  • Dr. Enright - Thursday afternoon.
 
  • Dr. Ryan - Thursday afternoon.
 

Early Intervention Forum - Contact Details

 
Please click here.
 

Referral Forms

For Early Intervention Services (EIS) Intake Forum Referral Forms:
 
North Lee - click here.
 
West Cork - click here.
 
North Cork - click here.
 
South Lee - click here.