A new children's symptom checker has been launched in Northern Ireland to help provide parents with advice while alleviating pressures on emergency departments.
The online tool launched by the Belfast Trust will be able to provide parents trusted advice to help them make informed decisions about their children's health.
Developed by the Trust's Paediatric Emergency and General Paediatric Team, in consultation with Alder Hey Hospital and the Healthier Together Programme, the symptom checker details the regular symptoms seen in the Emergency Department at Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
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The online platform is easy to use, informative and provides high quality advice for parents or guardians to consider when their child becomes unwell. This ranges from coughs and colds through to burns and symptoms that are much more serious.
The platform will help parents ensure their child receives the most appropriate care in the right place, at the right time, from the most appropriate team.
It uses a traffic light system to help parents know which type of treatment their child needs. Red symptoms mean you should attend your nearest emergency department immediately or ring an ambulance.
Amber symptoms are less urgent, but it's still vitally important treatment is sought on the same day, for example through your GP. Green symptoms only, with no amber or red features, are less concerning situations.
But if the child is still feeling uncomfortable, there are tips for parents to treat them at home, with parents able to get further advice from their local community pharmacist.
Dr Julie Anne Maney, Emergency Consultant at Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said, “This is an excellent, informative tool which is designed, not to replace the advice we provide in hospital, but as a guide to parents who are sometimes not sure of the right course of action to take.
“Children regularly get sick, they can get up to ten colds every year when they are very young, which is their immune system developing responses to the infections we are all exposed to every day. We recognise that this can be worrying for parents and want to help by providing high quality, easy to follow advice.”
Health Minister Robin Swann said: “I very much welcome the launch of this Paediatric Symptom Checker. My thanks go all to those who have worked on its development.
“I never cease to be inspired by the commitment of health care staff to innovation and improvement. I have no doubt this Symptom Checker will prove to be an invaluable resource for parents right across Northern Ireland.”
Dr Sarah Kapur, General Paediatric Consultant, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children said, “Bringing a child to an Emergency Department is sometimes not the right course of action, but parents can feel they do not have access to the right information.
"We would much rather see a child who does not need to be there than not see one who does need to be there. However, we hope this symptom checker can provide some reassurance in addition to GP Services, Pharmacies and other aspects of the healthcare system.”
The Children’s Symptom Checker can be found here .
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