A new unit at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton, is helping children to be seen quicker and avoid unnecessary admissions onto the children’s ward.

The Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU), launched in November, took 573 referrals within its first three months.

That meant for every 10 children or young people referred, four were assessed on the CAU and, of those, 90% of patients soon went home.

The unit helps reduce stress for families by getting a senior paediatrician and children’s nurse to assess the patient on the unit rather than them having to be admitted on to the ward.

That speeds up the process and often means children just see one senior doctor and can then go home without having to wait too long.

Consultant paediatrician Colin Dunkley said: “Children benefit significantly from the CAU, as we can prioritise all children rather than just unwell children. That is because staff on the CAU only have those patients to focus on.

“Unwell children or those needing a longer stay are seen by different team members on the ward. This alleviates pressures for our other ward staff and allows them to concentrate their care on our sickest patients.”

The matron for children and young people, Rachel Barker, added: “The unit is set up to ensure the child sees the right person at the right time. The children’s nurse plays a central role as we can rapidly see how unwell a child is and then effectively support treatment, prompt discharge and reassure families.”

The new unit is staffed by a children’s nurse and one senior paediatrician. It is open from Monday to Friday, 2pm-9pm.