Ribbon cut at new children's assessment area in Winchester hospital.
A new children’s assessment area on Northbrook (paediatric) ward opened today (24 October 2007).
Sophie's Place is an exciting new development for the RHCH and was opened by Sally Taylor MBE, Presenter of BBC 1's South Today.
The Children’s Assessment Area is a new area of a hospital ward that provides space for children to be seen, monitored and treated away from the hustle and bustle of outpatient clinics and in patient hospital beds. It is a child friendly zone where children can be seen in a way that makes their stay as short and pleasant as possible. This would include children who:
- Are referred by the accident and emergency department or their GP for paediatric care, but who require a period of observation before admission
- Come to the ward for treatments such as transfusions, chemotherapy or other specialist medications
- Require a period of time for investigations such as scans, hormone tests, allergy testing etc; or
- Children previously seen who need reviewing, including children for whom admission onto Northbrook can be avoided by having such a facility.
How has Sophie’s Place come about?Sophie’s Place is created in memory of Sophie Barringer, who was looked after here and at Southampton. She had Wilms Disease (a rare form of cancer) and died in 2005.
Sophie was often well enough to be cared for at home with the help of a nurse but she also needed special treatments and assessment at hospital, on Northbrook ward. Because there was no day assessment area, Sophie was admitted onto a ward bed.
Thanks to Mike and Lin’s generosity and determination, children can now be treated in Sophie’s Place. Not only is this purpose-built area a pleasant place to be, but it also frees up a paediatric ward bed.
Prospective Winchester MP, Steve Brine, attended the launch and said; "I was moved and honoured to be there today; so much hard work has gone into making this a reality and it's a really positive addition to the RHCH. There are so many challenges in the NHS today but this is a really good-news story.
"I hope this is further proof that Winchester's hospital is going from strength to strength within the context of providing hospital services in a modern-day (and vastly changing) National Health Service."
Steve Brine is pictured above with (right to left); Mike Gretton, Chair of the Winchester & Eastleigh Trust, Martin Wakeley, Chief Executive, and Sophie's mum.
You can find out more about the charity via:
The Sophie Barringer Trust
Email: info@sophiesappeal.org