KGH children's ward moves to temporary home as Skylark becomes Covid ward

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The move is an internal shifting of wards within the hospital

Kettering General Hospital has moved its children from Skylark Ward to another ward within the hospital today (Wednesday) to cope with the rising number of Covid-19 patients who require urgent care.

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Hospital bosses have said that the move is a temporary, internal ward change within KGH, and no other children’s services – including paediatric A&E - are affected.

Skylark’s 26-bed ward area has been turned over to a medical ward to cope with the rising number of Covid-19 patients who require hospital treatment.

Eileen Doyle, chief executive for KGH, said: “Our bed capacity is already under extreme pressure and we have to plan for even more patients with coronavirus.

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“We currently have 178 beds occupied with positive patients including 13 patients needing intensive care.

“By taking over this ward – which is close to intensive care – we can ensure Covid-19 patients have the appropriate – and potentially life-saving – care that they need.”

A number of children from Skylark Ward are moving to Maple Ward – a green (Covid free) 15-bed gynaecology ward in the hospital’s maternity unit – along with paediatric

Skylark Ward's distinctive rainbow frontageSkylark Ward's distinctive rainbow frontage
Skylark Ward's distinctive rainbow frontage

staff and appropriate equipment.

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Patients from Maple Ward have been transferred to Poplar Ward – a medical ward based in Rockingham Wing with medical patients moving on to other trust wards.

The refit of Skylark Ward will enable 'appropriate' Covid-19 patients from the Trust’s other medical wards this week.

Ms Doyle said: “We apologise to each of our patients and their families who have been inconvenienced by these moves but I am sure they will understand that saving lives must be

Kettering General Hospital Foundation WingKettering General Hospital Foundation Wing
Kettering General Hospital Foundation Wing

our top priority.

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“Our specialist paediatric team have been working very hard to prepare for this eventuality and our local community can be assured that children needing hospital care will continue to

get the high quality individualised care they have always received.”

A spokesman for KGH said: "All of the families of the patients involved have been contacted and the move explained to them with support in place for them.

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"Staff have also spoken with other families to assure them that the hospital continues to provide its normal paediatric care, with the same staff, albeit in a temporary location.

"Children with long-term care plans or open access should continue to use our hospital services as they always have done. The only change is the ward they will need to temporarily

attend Maple Ward if hospital-based care is required."

The hospital’s children’s A&E department will remain where it is in the ground floor of the Foundation Wing and continue to provide care as normal.

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Children's outpatients services will continue to operate as normal, with families attending appointments as arranged.

Ms Doyle added: “Taking this action is a measure of the seriousness of our current situation. To our local community I would say support us by staying at home, observing hands, face,

space, and sticking to all of the lockdown rules.

“A big thank you to everyone who is already following this guidance – you are helping to prevent further infections and loss of life.

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“I would also like to thank all of our staff who continue to work hard to meet the challenges of the pandemic.”

Earlier in the week, the hospital boss admitted that transferring patients and clinical teams off-site could become a possibility if things continued to worsen.

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