Stafford Hospital may close to children at night
Children taken ill during the night may no longer be assessed at Stafford Hospital, with parents forced to take them elsewhere in the Midlands, it emerged today.
Published
Trust special administrators behind recommendations to shake up services today confirmed plans to close the paediatric assessment unit between 10pm and 8am, bringing it in line with A&E.
It comes as they admitted today to making a blunder in their 500-page consultation document on the proposed changes at Stafford and Cannock Chase hospitals.
Administrators Hugo Mascie-Taylor and Alan Bloom recommended keeping the paediatric assessment unit (PAU) open for 14 hours, claiming this would preserve the status quo when the department is in fact currently operating 24 hours a day.
They have also outlined plans to close the maternity unit, withdraw childrens inpatient care and downgrade critical care.
