The Recorder could not make it so a big thank you to passer by who took this.
The BHRUT statement is as follows
Regarding
your query about emergency (blue light) ambulances taking children directly to
Queen’s A&E, I am happy to clarify.
London
Ambulance Service (LAS) has not taken children by emergency ambulance to King
George Hospital A&E since November 2010.
Patients
need to be taken to the setting that will provide them with the best care and
the best outcomes. This won’t always be to the nearest hospital. This principle
has saved hundreds of lives in recent years for stroke and heart attack
patients in London alone.
With
a dedicated ‘high dependency’ suite for children at Queen’s Hospital, improving
care for those who need more intensive nursing and medical input, it was agreed
that children who were acutely unwell should be taken directly to that service.
This ensures that children with complex and high dependency needs receive the
appropriate care as quickly as possible and prevents any delays in care from
transfer between sites.
This
decision taken by LAS was agreed by the
Trust and shared with the local councils’ Health Overview and Scrutiny
committees and commissioners.
This
arrangement has worked extremely well over the last three and a half years. ENDs
The statement raises a number of issues, I expect to write further tomorrow.