Message from our Master
Professor Michael O'Connell
Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
The Coombe Hospital has been offering care to women and newborns for the past 199 years, furtherance to this legacy, it is my great privilege as the 31st Master of The Coombe Hospital to introduce the 2024 Annual Report.
Welcome to
The Coombe Hospital
Professor Michael O'Connell
As Master, I continue to be indebted to the Executive Management Team (Anna Deasy, Patrick Donohue, Melissa Lawlor, Ann MacIntyre, John Robinson, Professor Martin White and Annemarie Waldron) for all they contribute and their dedication to living our purpose of providing specialist care for women and newborns putting their needs at the heart of everything we do.
I am grateful for the support of the Board and in particular to the Chair, Mary Donovan.
In 2024, 6,506 women gave birth to babies weighing ≥ 500 grams.
The corrected perinatal mortality rate was 4.0 per 1,000 total births.
We provided care for 111 liveborn babies weighing ≤ 1,500 grams.
At a Glance
2024 In Review
In 2024, we remained the largest provider of benign gynaecology services in Ireland, with a total of 18,787 gynaecological clinic attendances and performing 6,967 gynaecological surgical procedures.
In addition, in 2024 there was a 28% increase in attendances at the Outpatient Hysteroscopy Clinic against 2023 and an increase of 371 patient attendances at the Urogynaecology Clinic. Attendances at the Enhanced Endometriosis Clinic increased by almost 200%, in addition to a 75% increase in attendances at the Fertility Hub.
Gynaecology waiting list management continued to be prioritised, and The Coombe Hospital remained the best performing hospital within the region in 2024.
New Service Initiatives & Expansion in 2024
Emergency Assessment Centre (EAC)
The EAC completed its first full year in service in 2024. This is a single entry point for all unscheduled and/or emergency presentations to The Coombe Hospital. During 2024, there were 17,248 attendances at the EAC. The majority of women attending were greater than or equal to 24 weeks gestation.
Neonatal Speech & Language Service
A Neonatal Speech & Language Service was introduced to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 2024. This allows specialist support for safely establishing oral feeding in babies who need additional help due to prematurity or underlying health conditions.
During the first year of the service, there were 273 inpatient encounters in the Neonatal Unit and 73 outpatient appointments.
This new service also allowed parents to be trained in The Coombe Hospital on passing nasogastric tubes and administering feeds via nasogastric tubes. Families were previously transferred to Children’s Health Ireland for this training and specialist input.
The Daisy Clinic
The Daisy Clinic continues to provide antenatal and postnatal care to pregnant homeless women, women at risk of homelessness, women living in emergency accommodation and women living in international protection accommodation.
In 2024, the Daisy Clinic expanded its services to offer a clinic every two weeks at Citywest Hotel to provide care to women and families residing there.
First Mobile Epidural Service
In 2024, the Department of Perioperative Medicine introduced Ireland’s first mobile epidural service. This enables us to provide effective pain relief for women, while still allowing them to retain mobility during labour.
Given the steady increase in women choosing an epidural in labour, it’s important that we are able to offer this option.
The initiative received a fantastic response from patients and staff, and resulted in greater maternal comfort and improved labour outcomes.
Delivery Suite Updates
Room 5 in the Delivery Suite was refurbished as a recovery room to facilitate the use of Theatre 5 for elective caesarean sections. When this theatre is fully operational, it will facilitate a significant increase in access to theatre for gynaecological cases and thus increase our efficiency and reduce waiting times.
National Cervical Screening Laboratory (NCSL)
The Coombe Hospital National Cervical Screening Laboratory (NCSL) underwent a number of Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) inspections throughout the year and successfully attained INAB accreditation as a stand-alone laboratory in June 2024.
In April 2024, CervicalCheck assessed the laboratory and confirmed compliance with national regulatory requirements.
Across 2024, the team processed an impressive 34,327 programme samples.
Help & Support
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Appointments:
All appointments can be directed through Hospital reception: 01 408 5200, 24 hours a day -
Health Insurance:
We operate a direct payment scheme with VHI, Laya Healthcare, Irish Life Health, Garda Medical Aid, ESB, Medical Provident Fund, and Prison Officers Medical Aid. If you are covered by any of these insurers, the relevant insurance forms are signed electronically on your admission to hospital.
Fees:
For more information on Fees - visit our Hospital Charges page -
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The Resource Page:
Browse our collection of patient resources, brochures, and information leaflets—all in one place. Downloadable and easy to access, these documents cover everything from appointments and procedures to maternity, newborn care, and more.
Contact Us
Tel: 01 408 5200
Find Us
The Coombe Hospital
Switchboard:
Location:
Cork St, Dublin, D08 XW7X