Children's emergency unit moves to General Infirmary

From Tuesday, any youngsters needing treatment in casualty will be seen at Leeds General Infirmary's children's emergency department.

The changes are part of plans to bring all children's hospital services onto one site with the creation of Leeds Children's Hospital – the second biggest facility of its kind in the country.

Children under 16 have previously been seen by A&E staff at the infirmary and St James's Hospital but now all expertise is being concentrated in an enlarged emergency department in the Jubilee Wing at the Infirmary, next to a recently-created children's assessment unit.

Hospital chiefs claim the new facility features a number of improvements to patient care.

As well as separating children from adults attending A&E, separate waiting areas will be provided for pre-school age and older children to ensure they are with others from similar age groups.

Doctors and nurses will work closely with specialist paediatric staff to ensure that sick children have access to the full range of expertise in one location, speeding up treatment and diagnosis.

Dr Kevin Reynard, consultant in emergency medicine, said: "This is a big change and provides a single service which is designed around the needs of children with all our experts in one place.

"We have been planning this move for many months and it's really important parents and carers are aware that the service is now located at LGI."

Other services which provide care for children, including the minor injuries units at Wharfedale Hospital and the St George's Centre, Middleton, and the NHS walk-in centre in central Leeds, will continue to see children as normal for less serious ailments.

A series of other moves will shortly see other children's services transferred from St James's until the changes are complete on May 3.