Waiting lists for children on the decrease thanks to new surgery offer

Children across Lancashire and South Cumbria waiting for treatment are now being offered day surgery at Chorley District General Hospital (CDGH) for the first time.

Previously all children had been treated at the Royal Preston Hospital (RPH), but it has not been possible to increase the number of procedures there. Instead a paediatric surgical hub has been created at CDGH to tackle waiting lists.

Some children referred to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (LTH) are now having their surgical procedure at CDGH for specialties, including:

• Dental
• Maxillofacial
• Ophthalmology
• Plastic surgery
• Ear, Nose and Throat

Every fortnight there will be a dedicated day of low-complexity paediatric day surgery.

LTH anaesthetic lead, Krishna Devarakonda, said: “This will allow significant improvement in the number of children on waiting lists in Lancashire and South Cumbria, and it’s thanks to LTH’s fantastic paediatric, anaesthetic and surgical teams  for their hard work and dedication making this happen.”

Staff nurse Abigail Pemberton said: “We go along as a team from here at RPH, down to Chorley, the anaesthetists are all there, and it runs from 7am until closing.

“It’s like a pop-up children’s hospital. It’s a lovely spacious area there and we have a bay for each speciality, so that makes it easier for when the surgeons come as well, and it makes it flow a bit easier.

“It’s bringing the list down. Some of the children are missing school, important stages, so getting them in and getting things done makes life easier for everyone, the children, parents, teachers.”