Appointment to the Board of Children’s Health Ireland:

Following the nomination by the board of Children’s Health Ireland, the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has appointed Professor Alfred Nicholson to the Board of Children’s Health Ireland with effect from 22 January 2026 until 3 December 2027.

Professor Alfred Nicholson

Professor Alf Nicholson qualified in Dublin and trained in Paediatrics in Dublin, Manchester, and at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Returning to Ireland, he held consultant roles in Mullingar and Drogheda before becoming RCSI Professor of Paediatrics and Head of Department in 2008. His prominent national and international leadership roles include serving as an executive member of the European Academy of Paediatrics, National Clinical Lead for Paediatrics and Neonatology, and co-dean for specialist training programmes in Paediatrics.

In his previous role as National Clinical Lead, Professor Nicholson recognised the importance of CHI and the need for a strong network of paediatric care with a focus on specialist service models, unscheduled care, the care of children with complex needs and the significant challenge of improving adolescent care. During this period of time, he developed a national model of acre for paediatrics and neonatology, a national undergraduate curriculum, and a new outcome-based curriculum for postgraduate training in Paediatrics.

He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and several textbooks, including, When Your Child is Sick (sold over 10,000 copies and translated into multiple languages), co-authoring Treating Common Problems in Paediatrics Building Blocks in Paediatrics (2022), and Safe Care in Paediatrics (2024). His upcoming book, Paediatrics at the Bedside, is due in Q4 2026.

Currently, he serves as Head of School and Vice President for Academic Affairs at RCSI Bahrain, leading the introduction of a new undergraduate curriculum. Professor Nicholson is married to Helen and has four children living in New York and London.