Paediatric emergency services
Improving the quality and safety of acute emergency services has been identified as one of the NHS in London’s key priorities to deliver by 31 March 2013. As a priority, the current variations that exist in service arrangements and patient outcomes between weekdays and weekends, and between and within hospitals in London need to be addressed.
Following the review of emergency pathways for acute medicine and emergency general surgery patients, and the development of commissioning standards to improve these services, a review of paediatric emergency services in all London hospitals is being carried out. Similarly, there is a need to ensure that children also access high quality and safe care.
Whilst some improvements in the provision of paediatric emergency services have been made in the capital since the publication of Healthcare for London’s Meeting the health needs of children and young people – a guide for commissioners in 2009, there remains more to do. Often children are admitted unnecessarily when alternative management plans might be appropriate and there is variable access to senior personnel who might influence this process. Furthermore, staffing levels are variable out-of-hours and there are too few paediatric doctors to staff rotas to safe and sustainable levels.
The review is clinically-led and two multidisciplinary clinical expert panels have been established to support the development of the case for change and commissioning standards. The paediatric emergency medicine panel is chaired by Dr Gulamabbas Khakoo, Consultant Paediatrician at the HIllingdon Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The paediatric emergency general surgery panel is chaired by Mr Simon Eccles, Clinical Director for Paediatrics at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.
The review will examine current services and develop a case for change and commissioning standards to support the improvement of paediatric emergency services across the capital. Our aim is to promote the implementation of change that will secure improved quality and safety in paediatric emergency care across the capital, providing a service that benefits patients.
