This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Stafford children’s hospital A&E ‘not clinically safe’
Children’s accident and emergency services at Stafford Hospital A&E have been suspended after senior staff labelled it ‘not clinically safe’.
The Trust said that a shortage of staff with the necessary specialist training meant that the hospital had to be closed to patients under the age of 18. The news comes after a series of troubles including the launch of a public inquiry into the number of deaths between 2005 to 2008.
Liz Rix, chief nurse and acting deputy chief executive, maintained it was ‘a difficult short-term decision’ to suspend the children's A&E service, which deals with about 30 children a day.
Rix added: "I fully appreciate the impact these temporary changes will have on families in Stafford and the surrounding area, and understand that people will be very concerned about this news.
"However, we cannot and will not continue to deliver services without the confidence that those services are safe."
Ian Syme, from campaign group North Staffordshire Healthwatch, said suspending services was the right thing to do if there were not enough paediatricians, however, he warned hospitals in nearby areas, such as Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton, could face a ‘surge’ in demand.
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