‘Red’ status warning declared by Children’s Hospital Group

In CHGB minutes for the early months of this year, seen by the<strong><em> Medical Independent</em></strong> (<strong><em>MI</em></strong>), the NCH project received a status of amber in January, amber in February but red for March, April and May.

“The red, amber and green (RAG) system is a popular project management method of rating for issues or status reports, based on red, amber, and green colours used in a traffic-light rating system,” a CHGB spokesperson told <strong><em>MI</em></strong>.

Items driving the “RAG status from a project management perspective are schedule, scope, benefits, cost, resources”.

The spokesperson added that the definition of RAG red status is when there are “significant issues with the programme or project. The programme or project requires corrective action to meet business objectives. One or more aspects of programme or project viability — time, cost, scope — exceed acceptable tolerances [and] the matter should be escalated immediately.”

The spokesperson did not provide details for the CHGB RAG monthly status for the months since May.

At the March meeting of the CHGB, the minutes record “a risk in relation to the need to reassess and realign individual hospitals’ ICT projects with the requirements of the CHG ICT programme to ensure the paediatric OPD and the urgent care centre at Connolly is operational in mid 2019… ”  

The CHGB spokesperson told <strong><em>MI</em></strong> that, as part of its risk review process, “risks are reviewed on a monthly basis”.

“It was identified as a risk, as the existing children’s hospitals will need to continue their business as usual work, as well as work on Group ICT projects aligned to the opening of the paediatric outpatients and urgent care centres at Connolly and Tallaght Hospitals to ensure prioritisation of projects and resourcing,” said the spokesperson.

“Alignment of projects and prioritisation for resources has taken place. Additional resourcing has been made available by the CHG to the hospitals to allow progress on ICT projects and therefore the risk has reduced.”