Paediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) training is structured as a “supra-speciality” competency-based training programme. You must therefore have full-accredited training in a base speciality. Currently, these base specialities are Anaesthesiology, Paediatrics, Neonatology and Emergency Medicine.
The PCCM training programme is of 3 years duration. One year can be completed within the base speciality and the two core PCCM years must be continuous within the same programme. At least one year must be post CSCST in your base specialty.
Year one of core PCCM training should be completed in the senior year of advanced training or post CSCST of base specialty. Year 1 focuses on the acquisition of the competencies specified within the curriculum, alongside technical and procedural training.
Year 2 of core speciality PCCM training, focuses on projects /publications or another accreditation e.g. ECHO, Bronchoscopy, Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS), and Transplant as is suitable to a pre consultant year of training.
PCCM training in the Childrens’ Health Ireland PCCUs, is recognised by the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (JFICMI) in Ireland. The successful completion of the Fellowship will allow dual CSCST and accreditation on the Specialist Register. Thus, eligible for a Consultant in Paediatric Critical Care Medicine position.
The successful completion of 2 years PCCM training entails completion of core training in PCCM. It allows eligibility in Ireland for a Consultant with a Special Interest in PCCM position and eligibility to apply for AdEundem Fellowship with the JFICMI.
A detailed training document can be found on the standards and documents page
The 2022 advertisement for Paeds CCM fellows can be found here.
Description of Units
Currently there are 2 tertiary Paediatric Critical Care Units (PCCUs) in the Republic of Ireland. They are specialised facilities within Children’s Health Ireland, CHI @ Crumlin and CHI @Temple Street. Crumlin is a 23-bedded tertiary PCCU fully staffed to PCCU standards. CHI @ Temple Street is a 9 bedded tertiary PCCU. On completion of the National Children’s Hospital on St James site, these will amalgamate into a 42-bedded PCCU.
Admissions currently approximate to 1500 per year over the two sites. Our unique patient population ranges in age from 24 weeks gestation to 18 years.
General PICU
Our patient population across both sites includes Neonatal medical and surgical patients and general medical and surgical patients. We admit up to 175-200 Neonatal Surgical patients per annum, and these include Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Tracheo-oesphageal Fistula, exophthalmos and gastroschesis patients, both pre and post op.
Fellows in PICU will do modules in Cardiac and general PICU and have allocated time for airway training with the Department of Anaesthesia
Approximately 80-100 neuro critical care patients are admitted per annum at CHI Temple St.
Cardiac ICU
CHI@ Crumlin admits approximately 450 cardiac patients p.a. including Cardiology, pre and post Congenital Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac ECLS (approx. 20 patients per annum). This includes pre and post op Single Ventricle patients and management of complex congenital cardiac patients including Interrupted Aortic Arch and Ebsteins Anomaly
Medical Staffing
There are currently 6 WTE Consultant Intensivists in CHI@ Crumlin and 5 WTE in CHI @Temple St.
Both Units are staffed as per National Standards in Paediatric Critical Care 2020 with respect to critical care nursing and allied health professionals with speciality training in PCCM.
Electronic Health Record
Each site operates an electronic Clinical Information System and electronic prescribing. Core PCCU clinical processes and measurement tools are similar across both institutions. PCCU admissions across both sites are linked to PICANet (Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network in UK and Ireland) and NOCA (National Office of Clinical Audit) in Ireland, and as a result can benchmark results and outcomes with comparable Units Internationally.