Health Minister has issued a winter message to
parents of children and young people during a visit to the
Paediatric Unit at Altnagelvin Area Hospital.
The Minister visited staff and patients at the Unit to hear about
the excellent care provided and to see a demonstration of the HSC
online children's symptom checker, which local paediatricians
have developed to help parents and carers to use the right
service at the right time.
Health Minister said: "I know how
worrying it can be for parents when a child is sick, especially
as more respiratory viruses begin to circulate during the winter.
I want to reassure you about the excellent care that is available
here at Altnagelvin and across all our paediatric units in
Northern Ireland, and that plans are in place to deal with the
extra pressures that winter brings.
“Parents and carers can help to ensure that all children
and young people get the care they need by using the symptom
checker and thinking about whether other services could provide
the advice and treatment your child needs during this busy winter
period.”
The Minister continued: “If hospital care is required,
your child may need to be transferred to another hospital,
potentially in a different Trust area. I understand this can be
concerning, but I want to reassure families that our paediatric
services across Northern Ireland are of a consistently high
standard, and work together to ensure that your child will
receive excellent care wherever they are treated.
“Our dedicated teams across health and social care are
ready to help but we must all consider what we can do to help
them through this busy winter period.”
Dr Joe Clarke, Consultant Paediatrician at Altnagelvin Hospital
said: “We are delighted to welcome the Minister to observe how
our hospital's paediatric services work in partnership with the
wider HSC Paediatric system, to provide safe, effective and
compassionate care for children and young people.
“We want to encourage parents to use the children's symptom
checker, and if you need to come to hospital be assured that each
Trust has dedicated paediatric units. Every unit has expert staff
who make sure your children gets the same high-quality care
wherever you live.”
The Minister concluded: “The team here at Altnagelvin are
providing an excellent service to their local community. I want
to thank each of them, and all paediatric teams across the
regional network, for their hard work, commitment and dedication.
I know how much the care and support they deliver to every child
means to families.”
If you have any concerns about your child's health, please seek
advice and support as soon as possible.
Children who require urgent medical attention should attend their
local Emergency Department.
If your child is unwell and does not require urgent care please
use the NI Children's symptom
checker(external link opens in a new window / tab) for advice
and guidance. You can also contact your GP or out of hours
service.
Advice and treatment on a range of common winter illnesses is
also available from community pharmacists, including a new
‘Pharmacy First for Sore Throats' Service which is available to
anyone aged five years and over.
More information about the Pharmacy First service can
be found on the HSC NI website(external link opens in a new
window / tab).
