Alder Hey to open local 'branches'

Aug 16 2005 By Mary Murtagh, Daily Post

ALDER Hey children's hospital is set to introduce centres across Merseyside where young patients can be treated.

Manned by hospital and primary care trust staff. the aim is to care for children closer to home and cut down on unnecessary trips to the hospital in West Derby.

Under the pioneering outreach project, called Alder Hey@, children will be able to have X-rays and be treated for minor injuries and infections.

Sites at Bootle, Litherland and Wavertree have already been earmarked with more across Merseyside to follow. The Smithdown Road minor injury unit will open its Alder Hey@ centre later this year.

The project, the first of its kind in the UK, is a partnership with Merseyside's primary care trusts and will include outpatients services such as fracture, dermatology and respiratory clinics, access to medical staff at evenings and weekends, general clinics for children referred by GPs, surgical follow up appointments, and X-rays.

Dr Steve Ryan, medical director, said: "This is about having the patient at the centre of what we do and doing what is best for them rather than the hospital. People do rely on Alder Hey hospital for their care because they trust us but some of our patients do not need to be treated here."

The May Logan centre in Bootle and the new health centre at Litherland town hall will have the new Alder Hey@ centre as part of their facilities.

Hospital offices say that approximately two thirds of the 65,000 sick children that arrive at Alder Hey's accident and emergency department every year could be treated just as well locally.

Dr Ryan said: "The standard of care that children will get will be the same as they would get at Alder Hey hospital. The staff will be the same so they will know the history of a patient.

"This is not about stopping children coming to Alder Hey but providing better local services for them. This will allow Alder Hey hospital to concentrate on the sickest patients."