Almost 2,800 complaints made about children's hospital services
Ken Foxe
Nearly 2,800 complaints were made about children’s hospital services over the past three years, according to new figures.
Children’s Health Ireland ( CHI) said the highest number of concerns raised related to communication and information, followed by safe and effective care.
More than half of all complaints were logged at Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin, the largest service in the country.
However, the figures do show an apparent drop in the number of families raising concerns over the period from 2023 to 2025.
In 2023, there were 991 complaints registered overall, including 582 at Crumlin and 228 at Temple Street.
By 2024, that total fell to 896 before dropping again in 2025 to 885.
CHI said complaints were categorised across a number of pillars and that a single complaint could relate to more than one issue.
For 2025, that meant the total number of issues flagged by parents or patients was 1,793.
Of that, 402 related to access to healthcare, and 60 concerned accountability.
There were 686 issues logged relating to communication and information, and 36 that involved “dignity and respect.”
Also flagged on 550 occasions was safe and effective care.
There were a small number of other complaints that touched on issues around privacy, improving health, and participation.
The type of complaints made in 2023 and 2024 were similar with most raising access to healthcare, safety, and communication.
CHI withheld some low-volume figures on the basis that release of the information could identify an individual patient.
Separate figures showed the number of favourable comments that came from families about treatment.
In 2023, they received almost 1,500 ‘compliments’ – with nearly 60 per cent relating to Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
For 2024, there were 1,710 compliments logged and last year another 1,275.
In an information note, CHI said they used the HSE ‘Your Service, Your Say’ model for managing feedback from patients and their families.
