A new acute respiratory hub has opened to provide specialised care for vulnerable and at risk children aged 0-12 years old with respiratory conditions.
The hub, which has been developed by the Walsall Together Partnership, is a GP led service which offers same-day face-to-face appointments, acute interventions, diagnostics, treatment and follow-up care in the community, if required, for children experiencing chronic respiratory issues such as asthma and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
It runs Monday to Friday, from 12.30pm until 6.30pm, for referrals from healthcare professionals working in general practice and aims to reduce the pressure on hospital admissions for ARI over the winter period.
Dr Anand Rischie, Associate Medical Director for Walsall Together, said: “Over the winter we tend to see a rise in respiratory infections and the hub will be key to helping us support the most vulnerable and at risk children across Walsall who are experiencing chronic respiratory conditions. It is just one of many initiatives the partnership is working on to collectively improve respiratory care for our younger generations who, with the right treatment and ongoing support, can help them manage their condition and prevent them from becoming ill in the first place.”
Feedback so far has been positive with one patient saying “The doctor was amazing and was so thorough with my child. She spoke to him not just me and made a normally scared two year old comfortable and at ease with the whole examination.”
The hub is part of a broader initiative by the partnership, which is also investing in several preventative measures to identify early signs of asthma expanding WHG's ACEing Asthma program, which supports families from disadvantaged communities to manage their condition and improving their living conditions to prevent crises.
Connie Jennings, Director of Stronger Communities for whg, said: “whg are delighted to deliver the ACEIng asthma programme as part of the support offered within the ARI hub. ACEing asthma is a partnership health and housing programme, with social prescribers supporting families to access the services they need to manage their child's Asthma, keeping then out of hospital and in school healthy and happy.”
The partnership will also collaborate with existing services such as family hubs and the voluntary, faith, community, and social enterprise sectors to provide preventative care. Additionally, there will be an increase in diagnostic testing in primary care to diagnose children with asthma earlier and implement effective asthma care plans to help manage their condition.
