Parents and carers urged not to miss appointments at Evelina London Children’s Hospital

Patients are being encouraged to continue to attend their appointments at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Following the new Covid-19 restrictions which were recently introduced across London, patients and staff are being reassured that there are extensive measures in place to keep them safe when attending the hospital and its community sites.

The measures include requesting all staff and visitors to sanitise their hands on entering the building and to follow government advice on wearing face coverings.

More frequent cleaning is in place and rooms and equipment are thoroughly cleaned between appointments.

Only one parent or carer can accompany a child to their appointment, and there are gaps between appointments and fewer clinics running at the same time to limit the number of people in the building.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Evelina London, has also launched a ‘Stay Safe, Keep Apart’ campaign with signs around the sites guiding patients where to wait and queue safely to maintain social distancing.

Craig Ravenhill, 31, from Doncaster in Yorkshire, has been attending appointments at Evelina London with his eight-year-old-son, Dylan, who has a rare kidney condition. Dylan attends the hospital twice a week to take part in a clinical trial.

Craig said: “I feel very reassured by the changes the hospital has made. The hospital feels very ordered and calm and everyone is very good at keeping their distance.

“The signs explaining where you stand are very clear and helpful. It’s very easy to navigate and staff are on hand to show people where to go.

“When I visit I honestly have no worries and Dylan looks forward to his appointments and seeing his nurses and doctors.”

Dr Sara Hanna, Medical Director at Evelina London, said: “It’s understandable that our patients and their families are feeling anxious or concerned about attending their appointments, but I want to reassure them that our services are open and it’s very safe to come to our hospitals and community sites.

“If you have been contacted about bringing your child for a face-to-face appointment, a specialist doctor has considered the risk of your child coming to the appointment, against the risk to their health of not attending.

“Skipping appointments or delaying seeking medical attention can lead to delayed diagnosis or treatment, which can have serious consequences for your health.

“We are still here for all our patients, including patients who need urgent and emergency care, so if you need to be seen it’s vital that you attend our hospital.”

Pictured top: Evelina Children’s Hospital