Health Minister visits Newry’s Daisy Hill Hospital
Health Minister Jim Wells MLA has made his first official visit to Daisy Hill Hospital to learn about paediatric developments.
Design work is currently well under way on a £15 million plan approved by the Minister to modernise hospital services for children and young people across the Southern Trust.
All planned paediatric surgery for the Trust will be centralised in a new £8.4m purpose built centre of excellence at Daisy Hill and a further £6.9m will be used to upgrade paediatric services at Craigavon Area Hospital.
The Minister said, “This investment in the Southern Trust’s paediatric facilities, in these times of severe financial constraint, signals my determination to enhance the lives of children and young people in Northern Ireland.
“Illness and injury in children can be extremely challenging and distressing, both for families and for healthcare professionals, and it is imperative that care can be delivered in a modern and appropriate environment.
During his visit, the Minister heard about the plans for the new centre which will be located on Level 6 of the hospital and will include a new child-friendly theatre suite and recovery area, co-located beside a 19 bedded children’s ward, all custom designed to support the delivery of the most up to date clinical standards for the treatment and care of children and young people.
The Minister also met patients and staff in the Paediatric Ambulatory Ward which has recently extended its opening hours, making the service more convenient for families.
Another part of the Changing for Children strategy, the ward caters for a wide variety of patients including those who need a short period of observation or treatment and prevents unnecessary overnight admissions which can be disruptive and stressful for families of young children.
Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=48628
Posted by Newry Times News
on Jan 26 2015. Filed under Community, Politics.
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