York Vaccination Centre starts transition into a ‘healthcare village’ with baby and child scheme

A new scheme to help babies and young children is to open at Askham Bar.

It’s the first part of plans to turn the York Vaccination Centre into a healthcare village.

The pilot scheme is aimed at stopping babies and young children coming into hospital with breathing difficulties.

The new service is for children under the age of two years with bronchiolitis, who do not need an admission to the children’s wards at the hospital.  

Instead, they will be seen by an experienced children’s nurse from York Hospital, working alongside a GP, in a child and family-friendly ‘hub’ at Askham Bar.

Sal Katib, head of children’s nursing at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust explained: “In child health we are expecting a significant surge in demand for children less than two years of age with respiratory viruses and bronchiolitis.  

“This is not unusual but this year it’s predicted to be very challenging due to the relaxation of social distancing measures, which during the last 18 months has reduced viral infections in children.

“To manage this predicted surge the idea for a community hub was agreed.  The purpose is to manage those children who are not unwell enough to require a hospital admission, and to safely identify those who do.”

The pilot scheme, which will begin on 4 October, will follow set criteria which allow children who need further monitoring and assessment to be directed to the Askham Bar Healthcare Village.  

Once there, clinicians from Nimbuscare and a children’s nurse from the hospital will work with families and carers to monitor babies for up to six hours.  The hub will be open from 4pm until 10pm each evening.