HEALTH chiefs have strenuously denied claims made by the BBC that sick children were sent to other hospitals ‘because Worcestershire Royal was too full to cope’.
“No child who arrived here was sent away unless they had to go to somewhere like the Children’s Hospital,” said a trust spokesman.
“Every child who needed to be admitted was admitted.
“Whilst the hospital was really busy for adult patients, for paediatrics our records show that no one was turned away.”
“As with any service there are periods of high demand and during such periods we are able to accommodate increased demand within our current capacity. On December 8 No children or young people were turned away or moved for non-clinical reasons.”
The statement follows claims made by the BBC ‘from sources’ that on November 18 and December 8 the Worcestershire Royal was so busy it had to send children ‘dozens of miles away’ for overnight care.
It quotes the Care Quality Commission as being aware of the closures, however the hospital said children were still being treated elsewhere in the facility.
Local MP Karen Lumley said: “I am in close contact with the hospital authorities who tell me that when they are very busy they do naturally look at alternative arrangements, but they absolutely have not transferred or refused to take any children.
“Hard-working staff are very upset about comments made on social media and in other news recently – quite frankly this kind of mis-information doesn’t help anyone.
“I am assured that no children have been diverted from the Worcestershire Royal except where there was a clinical need – in fact the hospital was taking children from Hereford last week as Hereford had no beds.”
