New Observation and Assessment Unit opens at Trafford General Hospital
February 4th, 2010
Little Bevan Jackson may not have known much about it, but he has just made history.
The five-month-old baby became the first child to be treated at Trafford General Hospital’s brand-new Observation and Assessment Unit on Wednesday [03/02/10]
The two-bed unit is in the Accident and Emergency department at the heart of the hospital, located next to two treatment rooms and a playroom. The state-of-the-art unit will enable children and young people to be cared for and monitored in hospital for up to six hours, reducing the need for them to be admitted to a bed overnight.
It also allows children, young people and their families to be cared for in a quiet, safe environment away from the busy main A&E department.
The addition of the Observation and Assessment Unit is part of the Making it Better reorganisation of children’s and maternity services across Greater Manchester to provide more healthcare in the community and concentrate hospital services in fewer, larger units.
Bevan’s mother, Samantha, 28, from Partington, said it was fantastic to have a dedicated area in the middle of the hospital for children.
She said: “This is so much better. We are still finding out a lot about the unit and it seems excellent.
“I don’t know how much Bevan knows about it yet, but in time I’m sure he will find out he was the first.”
Her husband Brian, 34, added: “What is nice is everything is in a small, friendly area where the children can be seen, treated and then come into the observation area – it’s very simple.
“In the past, we might have waited around more and were not sure where we would be going so it is much easier now.”
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Samantha Jackson and her baby boy Bevan
Hot on the heels of little Bevan was nine-month-old Archie Kettle, who narrowly missed out on being the first arrival to the unit.
His mother Leanne Traynor, 27, from Stretford, added: “My first impressions are that it is very good. I didn’t even know anything like this was happening.
“I have been to the hospital before with my other son but it was nothing like this. I think it’s a great addition.”
Neither of the first two arrivals in the unit needed to be admitted to another hospital, so they were able to return home – where they are being cared for by Trafford’s Children’s Community Nursing Team.
Morag Olsen, Director of Nursing & Operations at Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “The Observation and Assessment Unit is an excellent addition to our care for children and young people. To hear how positive the parents and staff are about the unit is very satisfying.”
The Making it Better changes were agreed by primary care trusts across Greater Manchester in December 2006 following extensive public consultation. They are aimed at improving services for women and children by providing more care in the community and concentrating hospital services within fewer, larger units.
Next week, the inpatient children’s ward will close. Trafford General will continue to provide A&E and daytime health services for children and young people, including most day surgery and all outpatient clinics, but it will no longer have an overnight children’s ward.
The Children’s Community Nursing Team in Trafford has been expanded over the past year in preparation for the changes so that more children and young people can be cared for in their own homes, rather than in hospital.
The Children’s Ward will be replaced by a new, purpose-built Resource Centre for children and young people, run by specialist paediatric nurses. It will offer outpatient clinics and day surgery in dedicated, child-friendly facilities and there will be nurse-led clinics treating conditions including asthma and eczema. Facilities will include a playroom, two five-bedded bays for children who come into hospital as day patients, and four outpatient clinic rooms
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Contact:
Daniel Cochlin, Communications Officer, 0161 746 2934, daniel.cochlin@trafford.nhs.uk
