Birmingham Children’s Hospital turning away at least 70 sick children a month

Mar 20 2009 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

OVERSTRETCHED Birmingham Children’s Hospital has been turning away at least 70 sick children a month in a bed and management crisis.

The children have had to be sent to other hospitals because it could not provide enough beds and operations, investigators revealed today.

A damning independent Healthcare Commission report said it couldn’t cope with an increase in demand, with too few beds, cancelled surgery, poor working procedures and poor planning of services.

Theatre staff were also unable to identify surgical equipment and care was ruled as being below standard, particularly in speciality areas of renal and liver transplants, craniofacial surgery, neurosurgery, interventional radiology and cardiac services.

Worryingly, concerns were still being raised last month over patient safety during brain surgery when the surgeon was handed incorrect instruments and his hand was jolted by an untrained theatre nurse in the middle of the lifesaving procedure.

The report comes weeks after trust chief executive Paul O’Connor resigned. Read the full report...

The commission has now given the hospital with a 12 point recommendation plan to ensure it improves.