Children’s Emergency Department
The Children’s Emergency Department (CED) in the BRHC sees over 40,000 paediatric (<16 years) attendances each year and is the designated Regional Paediatric Major Trauma Centre.
What We Do
- Caring for children
- Delivering world class research, education and training
- Advancing practice through innovation
- Creating a culture of strong, dynamic and receptive leadership
- Dedicated to the support and wellbeing of staff
- Improving patient safety and the quality of care
The department has a 24 hour Middle Grade rota comprising both CT3 EM and ST4-6 paediatric trainees working on a single rota. It is a recognised site for paediatric EM sub-speciality training and the Consultant body, which numbers 10 WTE, comprises individuals from both EM with paeds sub-speciality accreditation and Paediatricians with Paeds EM sub-speciality training. Consultant shop floor cover is 08:00 – 00:00, 7 days a week. Staffing is at all levels separate from the adult ED service based in the BRI with those trainees placed at BRHC benefitting from focused, dedicated paediatric experience during their placements. The department is the designated site for CT3 Paediatric EM and HST Sub-speciality PEM training in Severn.
BRHC is a regional centre for the South West for all paediatric sub-specialities including: cardiology and cardiac surgery, bone marrow transplantation, renal medicine, gastroenterology, paediatric neurology and neurosurgery. The CED has a 5 bedded Paediatric Resus area (3 trolleys and 2 Resuscitaires), 12 fully equipped cubicles and an 8 bedded ‘Observatory’ (paediatric observation unit) for sole use of CED.
All GP and tertiary referred patients are received into BRHC for initial assessment by the BRHC CED clinicians prior to discharge or ward admission with the exception of patients retrieved and directly admitted to PICU.
BRHC runs a weekly in-house teaching programme which benefits from the wide ranging expertise within the wider consultant body of BRHC as well as in the CED. Trainees are encouraged to undertake and are supported in audit projects during their placements here.
BRHC offers a unique opportunity to gain experience and training in a wide variety of paediatric presentations with the full spectrum of acuity in a supported environment. The department provides a high level of educational supervision and is committed to supporting the wellbeing of its doctors in training.