Health Minister launches new standards for paediatric surgery

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey today launched new standards designed to improve the quality of paediatric surgery in Northern Ireland.

The standards, which all health Trusts in Northern Ireland will be required to meet, set out the way forward in both general paediatric surgery and paediatric ENT (Ears, Nose and Throat) surgery.

Mr McGimpsey said: “One of my key goals as Health Minister is to ensure that we have an efficient and effective healthcare system which serves the needs of every patient in Northern Ireland, including the youngest members of our society.

“Children have unique surgical requirements. Through the implementation of these standards, we will ensure that we are doing all we can to meet those needs in the most appropriate and professional way”.

The implementation of the standards will:

• ensure that all children, up to the age of 13, who require emergency or elective general or ENT surgery are managed in an appropriate environment by staff with the requisite skills;
• seek to minimise any existing risks that are associated with these two fields of surgery;
• include a review process whereby the quality and safety of care will be assessed and monitored.

The Minister continued: “I would like to take the opportunity to thank the organisations and individuals who provided their views through the recent public consultation process on these new standards. This work will do much to ensure that our paediatric surgical service continues to provide child-focused care of a high quality”.

The standards will address a number of challenges that have been faced in the delivery of paediatric surgical services throughout the UK in recent years, including developments in clinical practice, surgical training, and increasing sub-specialisation.

Notes to editors:

1. The policies, entitled Improving Services for General Paediatric Surgery and Improving Services for Paediatric ENT Surgery, establish 12 and nine separate standards respectively to which the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts are to attain. These are available to download.
2. Prior to the development of the new draft policies, this area was governed by the report, Paediatric Surgical Services in Northern Ireland (1999). This can be accessed online
3. In July 2007, the Children’s Surgical Forum (CSF) of the Royal College of Surgeons of England published its report, Surgery for Children: Delivering a First Class Service. Given the broad representation and professional standing of the CSF, this report provided a basis for the new policies, and is available online. It establishes up-to-date standards on the organisation and delivery of surgical care to the young.
4. General paediatric surgery and paediatric ENT surgery working groups were established to review the policy in Northern Ireland. The working groups had multidisciplinary representation from across Northern Ireland.
5. The public consultation period ran from 20 October, 2009 to 15 January, 2010.
6. Media enquiries should be referred to DHSSPS press office on 028 9052 2841. Out of office hours, please contact the duty press officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.