Childrens Healthcare Services

New arrangements for children's healthcare services
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Following the move at short notice of the Sanderson Child Development Centre, NHS Medway, which runs the service, can now confirm that some clinics and appointments are expected to start again by the end of next week.
The centre’s services are going to be provided from: · Rochester Healthy Living Centre, Delce Road, Rochester, ME1 2EL · Rainham Healthy Living Centre, High Street, Rainham, ME8 8AA · A Block, Medway Hospital
Work is getting underway at each base to install equipment and prepare rooms for the clinics and treatments carried out by the Child Development Centre team.
Martin Riley, Director of Provider Services for NHS Medway, said: “I would like to apologise to the parents of children who use the Sanderson Child Development Centre for the unavoidable disruption to our services this week.
“We are now able to confirm that alternative premises have been found, equipment is being moved and fitted, and staff are organising new clinic timetables. We know our service is highly valued by parents and we expect to be running sessions again by the end of next week.”
Parents and carers of all children who attend the centre will be sent their new appointment details shortly. Few, if any, changes are expected to appointments for children seen in their own homes or at their schools.
The Sanderson Child Development Centre moved from its base in a ward at the hospital at short notice on Friday, to allow more inpatients to be treated at a time of exceptional demand.
In a change jointly agreed by NHS Medway and Medway NHS Foundation Trust, the ward is now being refurbished and will reopen before the end of January as a temporary single-sex medical ward for female patients.
Mr Riley said: “I am very proud of the way our staff rose to the challenge of helping out Medway Hospital, when it told us on Friday that it needed to convert the Sanderson Child Development Centre back into a ward to cope with exceptional demand for inpatient beds.
“Many of the centre’s 48 staff worked over the weekend to move out all our equipment and files so we could hand back the space.
“We managed to contact all parents with appointments due at the centre in the next few days, and are now contacting every parent or carer of a child who attends the centre.
“All the equipment that has been donated by the community to the Sanderson Child Development Centre is safe and we can assure people we will get it back into use for the benefit of children in Medway as soon as we can.”
The Sanderson Child Development Centre, which is part of NHS Medway, provides specialist medical and therapeutic services for local children with complex multi disabilities.
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posted by pat