Description
“Nearly half of childhood admissions to hospital are for surgical assessment or treatment. This document outlines the requirements for surgical care of such children and covers the whole range of general and specialty surgery as well as anaesthetic services.
It is to the credit of the representatives of the 16 different clinical specialties involved that they have been able to achieve such as wide ranging agreement of principles which should provide a firm foundation fot the future development of surgical services for children. Moreover, the principles agreed by the different surgical specialties, anaesthetists and paediatricians, will be helpful in planning the equally important contributions of nurses, therapists and other support staff who are essential for the optimal care of children admitted for surgery.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England has established a children’s forum which will identify appropriate training assessment and continuing medical education for all surgeons who have responsibility for children: other professional organisations similarly will be addressing issues relevant to their members. All will do so within the national guidelines published as Welfare of Children and Young People in Hospital, 1991 and with the aim of ensuring that the safest, most effective surgical care of children takes place in a humane, child and family-friendly setting.”
Professor Roy Meadow
President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health