Health Minister Mike Nesbitt 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 Mike Nesbitt 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).
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