I hope you had a good Easter and were able to take some time with family and friends.
Many worked keeping us safe, healthy, or supplied over the Bank Holiday weekend and a huge thank you to them. With a major food poisoning incident to deal with, the DGH had unexpected pressure too.
Just before the break, I visited the new paediatric area at the DGH to meet staff, talk through the recent changes in treatment pathways and to be briefed on the investment to come.
The director of urgent care Theresa Ademola and director of women’s and children’s care Kaia Vitler were my knowledgeable guides and there was positive feedback. I was told staff felt the new space was far better streamlined and that the addition of advanced nurse practitioners, based alongside A&E, allowed a far greater number of children to be seen by specialist care.
The new space provides a dedicated paediatric area and offers greater privacy for young patients too – all very important.
As many Herald readers will know, there has been concern locally about the changes to this service, but I was told there has been no increase in patients being transferred to Conquest Hospital, no patient safety incidents and staff were pleased with the increase in specialist care that is now offered.
I would like to thank the DGH for the visit. It is always important to see first-hand what changes have occurred and to be able to speak to staff at the frontline.
What I heard was reassuring but we still must see the conclusion of an independent review into these changes, and I will look at it very carefully as I understand that parents need to have full confidence in how their children are treated following the changes.
The hospital is also looking to develop its Eastbourne community team, so that long-term sick children can be treated in their own home rather than coming into a hospital environment, a move very much welcomed by parents and myself.
I will be visiting again in six weeks’ time to see how the improvements have made the new space friendly for children and efficient for the paediatric team.
