The POD is an eight bedded short stay observation unit which is located alongside our Children’s Emergency Department. This is the first dedicated unit of its kind in Ireland and is a facility in which children with acute illness or injuries can be assessed, investigated and observed for up to eight hours with a view to avoiding unnecessary admissions to the Hospital. The introduction of this new unit is a major change in the way we provide care to children and their parents and marks the first step towards implementation of the general paediatric and urgent care model proposed for the new children’s hospital.