Children's Services
Children's inpatient services (where children have to stay in hospital overnight) will be based at a new Women and Children's Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) Telford, which will open in summer 2014. This will also include a brand new Children's Cancer and Haematology Unit.
The main reason for this change is that our children's doctors (paediatricians) believe that creating a single children's inpatient unit is the only way we can provide this service in the future and ensure that we continue to provide children's services within the county.
Another reason is that we cannot continue to provide children's services from the maternity building at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) as it is in a poor state and does not have a long-term future for clinical care.
The majority of children who use our hospital services will continue to go to the same hospital as now. This includes children who have to go out of the county for care at Birmingham Children's Hospital or Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital. All outpatient and day case appointments will continue to take place at both hospitals.
A Children's Assessment Unit will be available at RSH to assess and treat children who do not require overnight stay. We anticipate that this will be open approximately 13 hours during the day. A short-stay children's assessment unit will be available at the PRH alongside the children's inpatient ward.
The A&E departments at both hospitals will continue to be able to assess and treat children in an emergency. If a child arrives at the RSH and needs emergency surgery they will be quickly and safely transported to the PRH.
Read our special issue of Looking to the Future which focuses on the changes to children's services here.
Latest plans and designs
Visit our Design page to find out more about the latest plans and designs.
Get involved
We are currently going out to children's groups and talking to parents, families and carers about the changes to find out their views, concerns and ideas for the future. If you take part or run a children's group and would like us to come along and talk to you then please get in touch with the project team at future@sath.nhs.uk
We are also inviting people to take part in focus groups to dicuss the changes to Children's services in more detail and share your concerns and ideas for the future.
The next Children's Focus Group will be held on 23 February 2012 at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. If you would like to find out more information about this focus group or take part please email the project team via future@sath.nhs.uk
Alternatively you are welcome to come along to one of our regular Patient and Public Briefings, where you can find out the latest information and put your questions to our Chief Executive Adam Cairns. You will find details of the next briefings here.
More FAQs on children's services can be found here.