Two family and viewing rooms for the families of critically ill or recently deceased patients have been formally opened in one of the country's busiest emergency departments (ED).

The rooms at St James's Hospital in Dublin aim to offer ‘a private and comfortable space' for families who are dealing with often unforeseen tragedies.

"The ED deals with the families of many patients who die suddenly often due to unforeseen causes and often in tragic circumstances. Their loved ones are frequently in shock and traumatised. Hospital staff utilise the rooms to break difficult news to families in privacy, provide care to the bereaved and repose the deceased in a dignified space," the hospital explained.

According to Prof Patrick Plunkett, a consultant in emergency medicine at the hospital, while the ED is often a noisy and busy place, ‘there is a need for quiet and reflection as people come to terms with life-changing events, especially the death of a loved one'.

"Emergency staff see it as part of our continuum of care to support families and individuals in the midst of this constant activity, allowing them to adjust to their grief in private. These new family and viewing rooms will afford a beautiful environment to enable them to grieve and prepare for the future," Prof Plunkett commented.

Also speaking about the rooms, the hospital's CEO, Brian Fitzgerald, noted that while the main function of a hospital is to cure illness, plans must also be made to provide appropriate end-of-life care throughout the hospital, including in the ED.

Most patients who die in acute hospitals are admitted through the ED and 12% of all hospital deaths take place here.

"People who are with us when they reach the end of their lives are among our most vulnerable patients. Our improved facilities have been designed to enhance the dignity and show respect for our patients who have died and to offer compassionate care for their families," Mr Fitzgerald explained.

This marks the first ED initiative to be funded through the Design and Dignity Grants scheme, which was established in 2010 to assist projects aimed at enhancing the dignity of people who die in hospitals, as well as their families. The first grants were awarded in June 2011 and the first project completed in December of that year.

"Evidence shows that good design - of buildings, interior and exterior spaces, furnishings, even fabrics and lighting - can have a very positive impact on our experience in hospitals, particularly for people at the end of their lives. Three projects funded under this scheme are now complete and another eight projects are being progressed," said Michael O'Reilly, chairman of the Irish Hospice Foundation, which co-funds the grant scheme along with the HSE.