Concerns raised over plans to replace volunteer-run coffee shop in Tallaght Hospital

By Mary Dennehy

IN RECENT days concerns have been raised over plans to replace the volunteer-run coffee shop in Tallaght Hospital with a commercial café.

The popular coffee shop, based in the hospital’s atrium, is run by volunteers, and has over the years provided patients, visitors and staff with a friendly and affordable service – with those staying in the hospital for long periods of time and their families getting comforting service with a smile from the dedicated team of volunteers.

Over the past week, The Echo has received numerous calls from people expressing concern and disappointment over hospital plans to replace the coffee shop.

A number of callers also queried if prices would increase, with one elderly woman who visits her husband daily in Tallaght Hospital stressing the need for affordable café facilities.

When contacted by The Echo, Tallaght Hospital said it is currently in the process of redesigning its hospital atrium for the “benefit of patients, visitors and staff” – with the redesign based on feedback from patient surveys and from visitors and staff.

A hospital spokesman said: “The volunteers provide an invaluable and appreciated service to Tallaght Hospital, in particular the Volunteer Coffee Shop. However, there are limitations to the service that they can provide.

“The most notable constraint is the limited hours of opening during weekdays and closure at weekends which, for a large busy hospital, is not favourable to support the hospital to serve our community.

“Also the very high level of throughput has resulted in a limited amount of time the volunteers can spend engaging with customers which is central to the philosophy of the Volunteer Service.”

The Echo understands that the hospital, in consultation and agreement with the Volunteer Service management, is creating a new space in the hospital atrium for a volunteer coffee area with seating.

A permanent volunteer helpdesk is also being developed in the atrium with additional office accommodation.

According to spokesman: “This will enable our Volunteers Service more time to interact with patients, carers and families as per their original ethos . . . this is a welcome and exciting development for all.

“When this new space is developed, the space where the Volunteer Coffee Shop currently resides will be operated as a commercial café and will have extended hours of opening similar to other hospitals in the Dublin area.

“This will enable the hospital to provide an enhanced offering of drinks and food that is available to patients, their visitors and staff on an extended seven-days-a-week basis.”

He added: “The redevelopment of our banking facility has already been completed which will enable the existing retail space to extend, providing more room for wheelchair users and parents with buggies to move around this space with greater ease.

“Feedback has been very positive to this development and is part of the hospital’s strategy to continually improve and enhance our facilities.”