Temporary night closure of Children’s Emergency Department at King George Hospital

Posted Wednesday, 4 November 2020 by Communications and Engagement

We want to reassure you that despite Covid-19 we are still providing the same, safe care that we’ve always done for our children and young people. 

It can be confusing to know what to do when your child is unwell or injured. 

If you need advice, and your child has an urgent, but not life-threatening, health problem please contact 111 first. This can be done either online or by phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the service is free to use (including from all mobiles).

If it’s a life-threatening emergency, phone 999. 

We had to close our children’s inpatient ward at King George Hospital, earlier this year, to look after very sick Covid-19 patients. It will remain closed this winter and all children who need to stay in hospital will continue to be admitted to our children’s ward at Queen’s Hospital. 

Overnight, during winter, we will be closing the children’s Emergency Department at King George Hospital because there will be no specialist children’s doctors on duty at the hospital at night. This will come into effect on 16 November.

Please don’t bring your child to the Emergency Department at King George Hospital between 9pm and 9am as there will be no specialist children’s doctors on duty.  

When you contact 111, during the night this winter, they will tell you to bring your child to Queen’s Hospital if they need to be seen by one of our emergency doctors.

We are doing this to ensure we use our resources as wisely as possible to keep you safe. We have a number of staff vacancies that we are actively working to fill and several of our paediatricians are shielding. 

This closure is a temporary measure, because of Covid-19. We are absolutely committed to reopening the paediatric Emergency Department at King George Hospital during the night as soon as it is safe to do so. We want to do this by April 2021, subject to the ongoing impact of the pandemic. We will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis. 

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have provided some helpful advice on what to do when your child is unwell. Please visit their website to download their poster.