Write a commentTwo new paediatric centres at Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area hospitals plan to be open in 2017 and local parents and children have been asked for their suggestions on how they should look.
The new centres are part of an overall £14.5m plan to modernise hospital services for children and young people across the Southern Health and Social Trust.
All planned paediatric surgery for the Southern area will be centralised in a new purpose designed centre on the sixth floor at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, which will include a theatre suite, recovery area, 19 inpatient beds, outpatient and ambulatory care services.
The new Craigavon centre will be located in the current Car Park 1 and includes a 19 bedded inpatient, ward, outpatient and ambulatory care services.
This latest workshop with parents follows an event with around 200 parents, children and elected representatives, some months before construction began.
Welcoming the new development, Assistant Director of Specialist Child Health and Disability for the Trust Geraldine Maguire said: “We are delighted that our new paediatric developments which we have been planning for a number of years are now really beginning to take shape. Construction at Craigavon is very visible on site and work continues on the sixth floor at Daisy Hill to make way for its new unit.
“We have a very dedicated paediatric workforce and look forward to having the highest standards of facilities to offer acute paediatric care across both of our hospitals.
“All the latest guidance on acute paediatric services recommends that children and young people are cared for in a very child friendly environment, so we were delighted to welcome some very willing parents and children to work with us on the design of our units and will do our best to include some of their suggestions in our new facilities.”
The Craigavon Unit is due to be completed in Summer 2017 and Daisy Hill Unit in Autumn 2017.
