Pioneering Paediatric team use their expertise
A pioneering team is leading the way as it puts its wealth of specialist experience into treating local youngsters.
Early in August, South Tyneside District Hospital launched a new Urgent Care for Children service, turning it into a nurse-led service, where vastly experienced nursing staff now head up the unit.
The service is open from 8am until 10pm every day and based in exactly the same location at the hospital.
The changes mean urgent care for children is still available seven days a week, 365 days a year in South Tyneside.
Children with any major, life threatening problems are now cared for at Sunderland
Royal Hospital, as they already are overnight.
The paediatric nursing team in South Tyneside are experts in their field and have trained and worked in emergency care over many years.
All of the team specialise
in children’s care and include advanced paediatric nurses, paediatric nurses, children’s nurses and health care assistants.
They do many of the things that traditionally would have been done by a doctor in the past, such as
organising diagnostic tests, scans or x-rays, interpreting the results and beginning treatment.
Fiona Kerr is the deputy manager of South Tyneside Urgent Care for Children and has 30 years of experience in paediatric nursing.
Fiona said: “We have a highly skilled nursing team with a wealth of combined experience in paediatrics, many from the former Children’s A&E.
“Together we have cared for the children of South Tyneside for many years.
“Our new Urgent Care for Children service still looks after the vast majority of children who need urgent help and we want families to feel absolutely reassured.
“Our team are very much part of the community and it is the same friendly faces that will be here when you need us.”
South Tyneside Urgent Care for Children continues
to look after the vast majority of children who attend hospital with an urgent problem. Anyone in need of urgent advice about their child should call NHS 111 or 999 in a lifethreatening emergency.