NHS: We won’t refuse to treat kids at Royal Alexandra A&E

But they admit Glasgow unit may see sick children quicker

Health chiefs at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) have moved to reassure parents that “no child will be turned away” from its emergency department.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has issued a statement clarifying the situation at the Paisley hospital after a social media post suggested the A&E department would stop accepting children at the end of April.

The post, which sparked a massive response across social media platforms, falsely stated that all children requiring urgent treatment would have to travel from Renfrewshire to Glasgow.

It suggested they would only be treated at the Royal Hospital for Children, situated within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Govan.

In an urgent response to the growing outrage from concerned parents, a spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde told the Express that “no child will be turned away from any of our A&E departments”.

He added: “However, as is the case throughout the country, adult A&E departments across NHSGGC, including the one at the RAH, are under considerable pressure, and taking a child there may involve a considerable wait to be seen.

“In contrast, the A&E department at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) provides specialist care for children and young people, and patients are likely to be seen much more quickly if they are taken there.

“As such, if it is appropriate to do so, we are currently advising that parents take their children to the RHC, as it would be considerably quicker and more straightforward to do that.

“If parents would prefer to take their child to any of our other A&E departments and are prepared to wait, then they are welcome to do so.”

The statement comes just weeks after the Express revealed that hundreds of people are regularly waiting between four and eight hours to be seen at the RAH every week.

Data for the hospital revealed rocketing waiting times in the first three months of this year.

The most up to date figures available show that more than 1,100 people attended A&E at the hospital in the week ending March 24. Just over half, 55 per cent, were seen, treated and discharged within the Scottish Government target time of four hours.

The figure is considerably lower than the NHSGGC average of 67.9 per cent and the national average of 65.4 per cent.

Of those who attended 202 waited in excess of eight hours to receive treatment.

The Scottish Government, meanwhile, has recently said it is working to improve capacity in health and social care by tackling delayed discharge and improving patient flow throughout the system.

Getting people out of hospital and cared for in their own homes means the A&E department will be able to admit more people to wards within the hospital and free up space for people waiting to be seen by medics.