Concerns over A&E shut for children
A PROMINENT councillor has voiced her concern over the continued closure of overnight children’s accident and emergency facilities at Ormskirk Hospital.
The closure took place in April and Cllr Pat Keith of Cambridge ward in Southport said: “It is very worrying that as far as I can ascertain there is no date set for the reopening of this crucial overnight children’s department.
“What this means at the moment is that a child requiring overnight A&E treatment either has to be driven by the family to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool or be taken there by ambulance. Either way precious time can be lost.”
The children’s department at Ormskirk currently closes at 10pm until 8am each day until further notice and Trish Armstrong-Child, Chief Executive of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, said the challenges presented by Covid-19 (coronavirus) had forced the temporary closure on the trust.
She said: “The trust cannot maintain safe and effective emergency medical cover overnight at Ormskirk while the focus of our staff is on coronavirus.’’