Doors open on new ward for children

The children's ward of Telford's Princess Royal Hospital has moved from the first floor of the hospital down to the ground floor, into the new unit.

It is the only part of the new centre which is open, with the rest of the building on target to open as planned in September.

The centre will eventually also include consultant maternity services and children's cancer services.

Rachel Triggs, children's ward manager at Princess Royal, said: "The move went as planned and I'm delighted we are now in a new home within the centre.

"We have more space on the ward including more rooms and en-suite facilities for some of our patients in a modern environment.

"Being back on the ground floor also means our young patients who are well enough to go outside in the good weather will again have access to an outdoor play area.

"Staff on the ward are really pleased with our new ward, which will benefit our young patients and their parents."

Lynn Atkin, lead nurse for the women and children's care group at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said the move would give the children's ward at Princess Royal an "excellent new home".

"It means our contractors can begin preparing the former ward upstairs, which will be used for part of the women's services which will be based in the centre," she said.

"This is the only service to move into the centre so far and it will be business as usual for the existing women and children's facilities at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and elsewhere at Princess Royal until the new building fully opens in September.

"The centre is on target to open as planned and will be a great facility for the women and young patients we are here to care for in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales."

The new centre will be for women who need a consultant-led birth, gynaecology services where an overnight stay is required, children who need to stay overnight and children's oncology and haematology care.

Health chiefs say despite the imminent changes, most people accessing women and children's services would continue to go to the same hospital as they do now.

Spokesman John Kirk said: "Both the Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will still have a midwife-led unit and a children's assessment unit as well as outpatient services.

"Women having a low-risk birth will still be able to choose to have their baby at home, at one of our five midwife-led units at Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Shrewsbury, or Wrekin at PRH, or one of the midwife-led units provided by the Powys Teaching Health Board."