Speech And Language Therapist, Clinical Specialist, Paediatrics High Dependency Unit, University Hospital

Cork University Hospital is the largest statutory / HSE hospital in Ireland and the only Model 4 (Specialist Academic Teaching) Hospital in the state with all acute surgical and medical specialities integrated on the same campus (Adults, Paediatrics, Maternity and Mental Health). Cork University Hospital (CUH) is Ireland’s largest paediatric regional centre, currently tri-located with maternity and adult services. It is the hub of the HSE South West region and is undergoing reconfiguration of citywide children’s services. The Centre provides secondary and tertiary scheduled and unscheduled care services to children in Cork and wider Munster area from after their neonatal discharge from CUMH until their 16th birthday/until transition to adult services. CUH provides acute general paediatric care, as well as subspecialist care in the fields of paediatric diabetes/endocrinology, respiratory, neurology, allergy, cardiology, community paediatrics and neurodisability. Each year, CUH Paediatric Directorate provides care for approximately 5100 inpatient and day case admissions, 39,000 outpatient visits, 22,000 CED attendances and 1300 Paediatric Assessment unit attendances.

A Regional High Dependency Unit service is being developed in line with recommendations of the Irish Paediatric Critical Care Audit 2023. The RHDU will ensure the safe management of complex and critically unwell children not requiring admission to an ITU, but who require close observation, monitoring or intervention that cannot be delivered in a normal ward environment.

The Speech & Language Therapy Department provides care across Cork University Hospital, Cork University Maternity Hospital, St. Finbarr's Rehabilitation Unit & Mallow General Hospital.

The SLT Department is a dynamic work environment with service delivery provided across a wide range of paediatric specialties including Respiratory, Cardiology, Neurology, Neurodisability etc. It is also a clinical practice site for undergraduates from UCC.

Strong interagency working across community, hospitals and agency services takes place with a focus on the ongoing development of integrated care pathways across CHI & other acute hospitals, disability services, educational and community settings. The SLT service is committed to active service user involvement and continues to develop joint initiatives involving service users and key stakeholders in line with HSE policies.