KGH moves children's A&E department to increase coronavirus capacity

Children attending KGH's A&E department will now be seen elsewhere in the hospital as part of a move to increase coronavirus capacity.

The Rothwell Road hospital is expecting an increasing number of patients attending A&E with coronavirus in the coming weeks and has now made the existing A&E department adults-only.

Children and young people under the age of 18 who need A&E care will need to go to the Foundation Wing, close to the hospital’s main reception. The children’s A&E will be based on the ground floor in the area formerly occupied by paediatric outpatients.

A KGH spokesman said: "This is in preparation for expected increasing numbers of patients presenting at A&E with coronavirus and will enable us to focus our staff in the best way to meet the needs of our patients and ensures that children and young people, up to the age of 18, are seen in a physically separate environment from the main A&E.

"The Children’s Emergency Department will also ensure a direct route onto Skylark Ward for those children and young people needing hospital admission."

The hospital said GPs should note referrals to the Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) will remain the same, via telephone to the Paediatric Registrar, and should go to the relocated Children’s A&E rather than direct to Skylark Ward.

All patients will be clinically assessed upon arrival and seen in priority order based on clinical need.

It's not known how many coronavirus patients are currently at KGH.

Latest figures show 21 confirmed cases in the county although there are expected to be many more because people are now only tested at hospitals.

Two patients to have tested positive have died, including 'amazing' father-of-two Craig Ruston who died at Kettering General Hospital. At the time he was the UK's youngest coronavirus victim.