Covid-19 update

14 September 2020: Temporary changes to children and young people’s services

In June, NCL CCG began a clinically-led review to make recommendations on how to provide the best possible emergency and planned care for children throughout the pandemic when a potential increase in demand from Covid-19 cases is likely to create added pressure on the NHS. This review reported in August, and on the basis of this clinical advice several temporary changes to children and young people’s services will be implemented by October 2020.

The following temporary changes have been agreed and the executive leadership teams within North Central London (GOLD) will be maintaining oversight and review to ensure that the changes deliver the required quality and safety:   

• Barnet Hospital paediatric emergency department and inpatient unit, including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), reopened on Tuesday 1 September 2020 having been closed during spring and summer.
• The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead will temporarily close its paediatric emergency department on Friday 25 September 2020 and inpatient beds the following week. There is a robust plan for the safe transition of patients to other sites where clinically necessary and for communication to stakeholders and the public about where to access appropriate care.​
• The Whittington Hospital’s paediatric emergency department and inpatient unit will be expanded to meet forecast demand and provide care to local children and young people in Camden, Islington and the west of Haringey. Staff will be transferred to support the services here.
• North Middlesex University Hospital paediatric emergency department and inpatient unit will remain open.
• University College London Hospitals’ (UCLH) specialist inpatient and day case services, including cancer haemato-oncology and complex adolescents, will remain open. The UCLH children and young people’s emergency department which has been closed throughout spring and summer will remain temporarily closed.
• To ensure maintenance of access to elective services, GOSH will provide an enhanced role for urgent elective inpatient and some – but not all – day surgery, building on existing arrangements.

Each of the organisations involved are fully supportive of these temporary changes and they will be kept under review.

The CCG is working with partners and local community and voluntary sector organisations to communicate these changes to stakeholders and local residents, particularly parents and families across NCL and in neighbouring boroughs.

Any changes in pathways will be communicated tto primary care over the coming weeks.
 

For the latest updates to services, see the NCL Covid-19 website

23 June 2020: Paediatric inpatient beds reopened at UCLH, Whittington Health and the Royal Free London Hampstead site on Monday 22 June 2020.

The integrated physical and mental health crisis inpatient service has now moved from GOSH to Whittington Health. 

All other temporary measures for paediatric services implemented in response to Covid-19 will remain in place. The paediatric emergency department at UCLH will remain closed to walk-in patients with a London Ambulance Service redirection in place.