£15m Allocated For Children's Hospital Services

Health Minister Jim Wells has approved £15m to modernise hospital services for children and young people across the Southern Trust.

Under the new measures, all planned paediatric surgery for the Southern Trust will be centralised in a new £8.4m centre of excellence at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, County Down. A further £6.9m will be used to upgrade paediatric services at Craigavon Area Hospital.

The Minister said: "This development of children’s services at Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area Hospitals clearly demonstrates my commitment to improving the lives of Northern Ireland’s children and young people and it is a real and tangible sign to the people of the Southern Trust area that a new development will be delivered as promised.

"This capital project represents a major investment for the area, not only terms of health and social care but also for the construction industry. I am extremely confident that the local economy will benefit from the project by not only securing, but creating employment in this challenging economic climate."

The centre will include a new child-friendly theatre suite and recovery area, beside a 20 bedded children’s ward, and a dedicated area for paediatric outpatients and ambulatory care.

Welcoming the Minister’s announcement, Chief Executive of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust Mairead McAlinden said: "I am extremely grateful to the Minister, particularly in the current difficult financial climate, for this decision to prioritise capital investment in children’s’ services in Daisy Hill and Craigavon hospitals. This allows us to continue to the next phase of implementation of our 'Changing for Children' strategy which was developed through public consultation in 2010.

"We have already put in place a range of improvements under our Changing for Children Strategy including enhanced ambulatory care at Craigavon and introducing longer opening hours for the Ambulatory Service in Daisy Hill, refurbishing our children’s wards and increasing single room accommodation, and the introduction of transitional care cots in the neonatal and special care baby units to support parents in preparing for the discharge of their baby from specialist care."

Construction work on both projects is expected to be completed in 2017.

(IT/MH)