PEOPLE taking part in a consultation into services at the George Eliot Hospital are being urged to campaign for paediatric care.
The controversial Arden Cluster review into Paediatric and Maternity care at the NHS Trust has only one option on the table.
While Maternity and the Special Care Baby Unit have been saved from the axe, the plan is for Caterina children’s ward to be closed in favour of a short stay paediatric assessment unit.
County and borough councillor, Barry Longden, says that the review is the perfect time for people to stand up and be counted and see if they can extend its proposed 14 hour opening times to longer.
“I would encourage people to use the ‘Additional Comments’ pages of the consultation to make the case for extending the assessment unit time to a minimum of 22 hours,” said the hospital campaigner.
“By increasing the assessment unit hours it will also negate the requirement for children, other than those that are very seriously ill, to be driven past the George Eliot in an ambulance to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).
“The George Eliot has passed all the tests on safety and sustainability, and the added bonus will be that staff will have a higher level of cases to deal with, thereby maintaining their skills and training on site.
“People might also want to comment on the very difficult problems of getting to UHCW, especially by public transport, and the associated costs in fuel and bus fares, and the further problems of getting on to the site when you get there.”
The consultation is to run until August 6. The proposal includes the setting up of a new short-stay paediatric assessment unit open from 8am and 10pm.
The consultation document can be found at: www.warwickshire.nhs.uk/consultations. People can respond by emailing consultations@warwickshire.nhs.uk or by post to The Communications Team, Arden Cluster, Westgate House, Market Street, Warwick, CV34 4DE.
