Tips and advice to help you prepare for outpatient and inpatient treatment for your child in the children’s Hospitals in Ulster.
PLEASE NOTE: Nursing staff cannot offer medical advice over the phone so please refer to your GP or Care doc for individual queries. Alternatively, check the HSE website or mychild.ie for the information you require.
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Hospitals in other regions:
Frequently Asked Questions
Letterkenny University Hospital
Frequently Asked Questions
Cavan General Hospital
Website
Cavan General Hospital
Address
Lisdarn, Cavan Town, Cavan, H12 Y7W1
Main Phone
049 437 6000. Call this number and they will direct your call to the relevant clinic or ward.
Direct Line to Inpatient Ward
049 437 6616/ 049 437 6854
Public transport
You can use the Transport for Ireland Journey Planner for instruction on how to arrive by public transport.
Parking
Hospital car parks are usually very busy or full. Arrive early if you plan to use hospital parking as you often have to wait for a space.
Payment
There is a current fee of €3 per stay in the Hospital car park, paid as you exit.
Only coins are accepted as payment. An ATM and change machine is located in the main foyer of the hospital.
Long-term parking
Car park permits can be issued to parents of sick children who need long term care – ask your nurse about this.
Disabled/blue badge parking
Free parking with a disabled parking badge in designated spaces is located at the hospital main entrance and emergency department.
The paediatric outpatient department is located in Cavan Town Centre at:
Breffni Building,
Farnham St,
Cavan.
H12 F721
To get in contact, phone the general hospital number on 049 437 6000 followed by 4 to be transferred.
There is a small free carpark, however, it can be very busy.
Paid street parking is also available.
Paediatric Inpatient Ward
The children’s inpatient ward is located on the 1st floor. To enter the ward, ring the doorbell once and wait for the door to make a click sound before pulling it open. To leave, press the green button on the right hand side. The ward has 16 beds, including 8 isolation rooms. If your child is in an isolation room, you are not permitted to take them out of the room.
There is a shower and bathroom available for parents if their child is not in an en-suite room.
Paediatric Assessment Unit
The Unit operates 24 hours per day, seven days a week. GP referrals and those self referring must check in at reception in the Emergency Department prior to arrival at the PAU.
Children who attend the unit, having been referred by GP or by self referral, are assessed and triaged using the Irish Children’s Triage System (ICTS). The children are then seen in order of priority as recommended by the Triage system.
The Unit also operates an appointment based phlebotomy service for children up to 12 years of age (exceptions in cases where child has needle phobia or has special needs) taking referrals from tertiary hospitals, consultants and GPs. Referrals must be made in writing to Paediatric Ward Receptionist who will review it with a clinician and an appointment will be allocated in an appropriate timeframe. The current waiting time for an appointment is two to three months due to demand.
Special Care Baby Unit
A room is available where parents can rest during the day or stay overnight prior to their infants discharge home.
Meals are provided to breastfeeding mothers while with their babies.
A letter for subsidised parking may be available – ask your baby’s nurse.
A feeding room and recliners are provided.
Incubator covers, knitted hats, blankets and other individual items are provided.
On the Inpatient Ward
Parents or guardians of patients in the Paediatric Department can stay overnight on the ward on a camp-bed.
A shower is available for parents if their child’s room does not have an ensuite bathroom.
Parents’ Room
There is a parents’ room on the inpatient ward with tea and coffee available.
Dining Room
The Hospital Restaurant provides a variety of hot and cold food, tea/coffee, and snacks to staff, patients, and visitors. Opening times are displayed at the Dining Room.
Vending Machines
There are vending machines located throughout the hospital.
Hospital Shop
The hospital shop is located at the main foyer on the ground floor of the hospital.
PLEASE NOTE – HOT DRINKS CANNOT BE TAKEN ONTO THE WARD FOR SAFETY REASONS.
Volunteer Play Services
Play services are provided by Children In Hospital Ireland volunteers in the hospital. Watch out for the red t-shirts!
Play Specialist
Play specialists are part of multi-disciplinary team specialising in normal and therapeutic play for infants, children and young people, both inpatients and outpatients of the hospital. They can help a distressed child prepare for, or distract them during, a procedure. There is a play specialist available in the hospital Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9.30am – 4.30pm. If you think your child would benefit from the support of the play specialist, please get in touch in advance of your appointment so the necessary arrangements can be made. Speak to your child’s care team for more information.
Playroom – On the Inpatient Ward
Available 24/7
If your child has additional mobility, communication, vision, hearing or literacy needs, let the clinic or ward staff know in advance of your admission or appointment, or when you arrive.
The hospital can provide you with a health passport template to fill out so staff can be made aware of your child’s abilities, needs, and preferences.
There is a Cubbie available in the playroom on the ward. Cubbie is a personalised sensory wellbeing solution that blends behavioural health science, occupational therapy (OT) designed programmes, and universal design to help individuals self-regulate, feel calm, and thrive in their everyday lives.
Hospital Shop
The hospital shop is located at the main foyer on the ground floor of the hospital.
ATM / Change Machine
ATM and change machine is available at the main foyer on the ground floor of the hospital.
Hospital chaplaincy service
A Chaplaincy Service is available to all patients. Please inform a member of staff which denomination you require.
Informal Complaints
Informal complaints can be made directly to a member of hospital staff, a ward/department manager, or your consultant.
Formal Complaints
Formal complaints about inpatient or outpatient services at Cavan General Hospital can be made to the hospital Patient Advocate Liaison Manager or to HSE Complaint and Feedback Service – Your Service Your Say.
The Patient Advocate Liaison Manager is Fiona Casey and can be contacted by calling 049 4376580.
For more information or support:
- Visit our hospital feedback and complaints section for more information about hospital feedback and complaints.
- The Patient Advocacy Service is an independent, free, and confidential service that supports you to make a complaint about an experience you have had in a public hospital.
Last updated April 2026
