RKW completed this framework brief in October 2007, which builds upon the decision to secondary services based in Dublin along with national tertiary services in a new children's hospital - potentially co-located with a maternity hospital. As part of our work we engaged clinical advisers from Canada, the USA and the UK and contacted more than 20 children's hospitals internationally. Our remit included a review of the national network for children's services including the role of regional centres, models for ambulatory and urgent care centres and the model of care for the tertiary centre. We also identified future capacity requirements and developed high level operational policies and schedules of accommodation to support the brief.