Guest Post – Paediatric Provision by HCA
Budgeting parents probably would not consider private health care for their children. Some may not even be aware it exists but actually it is really well established.
Paediatric Provision by HCA
Children are well cared-for by the NHS, so the private sector features few specialist paediatric units. These often provide healthcare to children from overseas or children whose parents have private medical insurance that extends to them, In the UK parents sometimes choose to go private for paediatric treatment to secure rapid access to an experienced consultant when it is needed, which could be a time of great anxiety. However pediatric care is very rarely delayed private or not.
Children have different needs to adults as their organs are of a different size, they grow quickly and congenital problems can present complex symptoms. A child could be required to see a paediatrician because they were born with such a condition as a heart defect or due to allergies, behavioural issues, blood disorders, developmental problems, feeding issues, immune problems, problems with bones and joints, problems with kidneys, lungs or the digestive system, problems with learning and serious problems such as leukaemia. It is advised you should trust your intuition when deciding whether your child needs to see a paediatrician and always err on the side of caution
HCA’s Portland Hospital for Women and Children specialises in the treatment of children. It is less well-known that the hospital has a neo-natal intensive care unit, special care baby unit and paediatric high dependency unit.
Staff include neo-natologists, physiotherapists, play specialists, radiographers, registered children’s nurses and surgeons. Many of the 70+ private London consultants are also employed by such prominent teaching hospitals as the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Guy’s & St Thomas’ and University College Hospital.
Services range from general check-ups and treatment of in-growing toenails to the most complex imaginable. An example is the Audiology and Audiological Medicine Department, which was established in 1983. It is worthy of note as the most comprehensive private provider of hearing services. Its staff include physicians, scientists, speech and language therapists and audiologists.
Another notable feature of the Portland with regards to hearing is the Cochlear Implant Programme, where electronic devices are implanted to the ear, which grants deaf children the ability to hear. It has witnesses many success stories over the past decade.
I hope you have found this post on Paediatric Provision by HCA to be useful
