Seasonal services paused
As we approach the summer months and winter illnesses subside, we are pausing some of our seasonal services, run in partnership our hospital and community healthcare colleagues.
The Children’s Ambulatory Treatment (CAT) Hub which was initially set up in October 2021 at Askham Bar Community Care Centre as a pilot, will temporarily close. This is a seasonal service which successfully responded to the increase in the numbers of babies and children with Respiratory illnesses over the winter months.
We would like to thank Dr Rebecca Brown who set up and led the service over the last two winters, and her team. Her drive and passion to improve the care for babies and children in the York area has made a difference to many of our patients and their families. She has also spread the word to other regional and national NHS organisations and our CAT Hub has become a great example of best practice. The service has been replicated in other areas, including Bradford and Leeds, which have introduced a similar model
The clinic has reduced the number of unnecessary attendances in the Emergency Department at York Hospital with initial data showing a 35% fall in patients going to the Emergency Department. It has also improved parent’s knowledge and confidence in caring for their child, by providing advice and support from experts. This work has also helped share learning and good practice by professionals from both primary and secondary care working together at one hub.
When the Group A Streptococcus concerns happened in December 2022, the hub was perfectly placed to expand to support acutely ill babies and children with Strep A and thousands of patients were seen in the clinic with 44 seen on the busiest day. Out of the patients seen, only 3% were admitted to hospital and 97% discharged home.
In addition to the clinic, Dr Brown helped set up the Bladder and Bowel workshops for parents and carers, reducing the numbers of patients needing hospital appointments for these issues. She also led the involvement of Nimbuscare in the Harmonie research study which explored the introduction of RSV vaccinations for babies.
Bethany Stephenson
Mum Bethany Stephenson was grateful for the care she received from the team at the Askham Bar Children’s Treatment clinic after both her six-month-old twins contracted bronchiolitis.
“I didn’t even know it was here until I came yesterday,” said Bethany, cuddling her twins Dominic and Isabelle.
After calling her GP practice in Pocklington, she was told to take Dominic to the clinic. He’d been suffering from a bad cold for three weeks before developing a cough. Bethany was worried about him so she was reassured by the specialists there. The following day her daughter Isabelle developed the same symptoms so she managed to get an appointment straight away.
“You’re normally having to wait for ages to be seen, but this was just so easy to find and quick. I like that it’s just for kids, as you don’t have to worry if they scream. Everyone’s in the same boat here.
“They gave me advice and I’ve been told to come back if they get any worse. It’s so much easier and they’ve given me a card with contact details so I can just call if I need help,” said Bethany.