It is well commented-on that the development of the National Children’s Hospital faced several challenges. When KPMG first got involved, the New Children’s Hospital (NCH) was already in the construction phase on the campus of St. James's Hospital in Dublin, aiming to consolidate services from three tertiary children's hospitals in Dublin into one regional secondary and national tertiary centre. Additionally, satellite centres were underway at Tallaght Hospital and Connolly Hospital.
However, independent reviews concluded that the project lacked a robust project controls environment suitable for such a mega-programme. There were concerns about the risk profile associated with procurement and contracting strategy, as well as conclusions on the need to enhance commercial capability and collaboration across the organisational structure.
It was also recommended that more robust processes for decision-making and a Programme Assurance Strategy were needed to ensure project success.