New unit for assessing children to improve service in Cavan General Hospital

A new dedicated Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) officially opened in Cavan General Hospital last Monday, will result in improved waiting times for adult patients in the emergency department, according to the HSE. Approximately 70% of child presentations will now be treated in the PAU so the volume of activity in the ED will be significantly reduced, according to a spokesperson. The PAU is a dedicated facility on the hospital's first floor where all acutely ill children, up to 15 years can be treated for illnesses such as high temperatures, chest conditions, infections, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Children in need of emergency treatment or trauma care will continue to be treated in the ED. Alan Finan, clinical director of women's and children's services, told The Anglo-Celt that it will make the journey for children coming into the service much better. "We have about 6,000 emergency attendances of children coming through the hospital every year and about 70% of those would be non-injury related. They would have medical problems such as asthma, gastroenteritis or that type of problem and those children have been processed up to now through the ED department. We have established this new department so that we can take those patients out of the emergency department and assess and manage them in this new unit," explained Dr. Finan. "We feel that this unit is much more child and family friendly and it will be a more comfortable experience for the children and their families. It will free up space in the ED unit and reduce the burden on staff working in that unit", said Dr Finan. Also speaking at the opening, Bridget Clarke, general manager Cavan Monaghan Hospital Group said: "The PAU will increase the quality and safety of treatment for children who require urgent assessment and care. Here, they will be cared for in a very child-friendly environment by dedicated staff with specialised training and paediatric experience. It is a great development for Cavan and Monaghan patients, both children and adults". Ms Clarke added that it is very important to have a dedicated area for children to be treated separately from adults. "It is the worst possible scenario for mothers and fathers to be sitting with their children in an adult area where there are some very ill people. This new unit has a children's waiting area with its own toilets". The PAU will be staffed by two nurses at all times. Medical support will be provided by the on-call paediatric consultant, registrar and senior house officer as well as by the on-call surgical team. All acutely unwell children presenting to the hospital will be registered by clerical staff in the ED, as normal. They will then be assessed by ED nursing staff and directed to the PAU for assessment and treatment. The Paediatric Assessment Unit's opening times are; 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday and 2pm to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday. Outside of these times all children will be managed in the ED. A young mother visiting the unit, Lisa McDonnell, from Carlanstown, County Meath, praised the unit and staff: "The unit is lovely and the staff are all very friendly and it means I don't have to go into the children's ward with Cian, every time I come in here. This facility is very convenient".