The PAU at the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork is the second phase in the development of the Hospital's plans to provide urgent care for patients; a Medical Assessment Unit was opened in 2015.
Speaking at the event to mark the expansion of the service, An Tánaiste, Mr Coveney said "The Paediatric Assessment Unit at the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork is providing a valuable service for GP's and their Paediatric patients that require urgent medical care. This new Paediatric Assessment Unit at the Hospital provides GPs and parents with rapid access to Consultants in Emergency/Paediatric medicine and immediate access to state of the art diagnostics and a hospital bed if required. The unit marks an important step forward in providing a greater level of healthcare for sick children across the Munster region"
Mr Harry Canning, Hospital Manager, Bon Secours Hospital, Cork said "We welcome An Tánaiste to officially mark the expansion of the Paediatric services at the Hospital and the development of the Paediatric Assessment Unit. The unit has been a great success in providing rapid access to urgent medical care of Paediatric patients in Cork and the wider Munster region. We expect that the Paediatric Assessment Unit will grow by 10% per annum over the coming years. To support the expansion of the Paediatric service additional specialist staff as in Consultants and Nursing staff in particular have joined the Hospital"
The Paediatric Assessment Unit is open to children (28 days to 16 years) 5 days a week, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Attendance is by way of GP referral. Over 800 children have been treated in the Unit in the past number of months with those requiring a hospital bed admitted swiftly.
