A new children's ward, which opened on 28th April, is the latest of several recent improvements introduced this year by the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust. Also this week the Trust published details of its next chief executive, as her predecessor started her new job at a hospital in Bristol.
The new children's ward - the paediatric assessment unit (PAU) - is situated next to the children's emergency department. Colocating these two facilities will improve the experience of coming to hospital for young patients and their families or carers, as they can access the unit more easily and quickly, helping to reduce the amount of time they have to spend in hospital overall.
The PAU is the latest of several recently completed capital projects:
- The Captain Sir Tom Moore Centenary Ward opened at the beginning of this year, located next to the hospital’s Pymmes Building, and is now being used to care for patients recovering from surgery. Its 20 beds help the hospital manage demand arising from seasonal pressures and restore services following the recent Covid-19 outbreak.
- A new emergency department assessment unit (EDAU) opened in February. The unit has been redeveloped on the site of the old children’s emergency department. It provides extra capacity for streaming and assessing patients so they can be seen more quickly.
- A new same-day emergency care (SDEC) unit has expanded services for outpatients, providing additional examination, treatment and waiting facilities. It will help reduce the need to admit people as inpatients and prevent recurring attendances to the emergency department.
New North Mid chief executive named as Dr Nnenna Osuji
The new chief executive at the North Mid is to be Dr Nnena Osuji. She is currently deputy chief executive and medical director at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and is expected to take over from interim chief executive Andy Heeps in the summer. She is an experienced haematologist and will continue to work as a clinician at her new hospital.
Dr Osuji says she is thrilled to have accepted her new appointment:
“It is an incredible privilege to join the local North Mid community, amazing staff, patients and partners to take forward the ambitious plans for the Trust, building on the foundations laid by Maria Kane and continued by Andy Heeps towards providing outstanding care to local people. It is particularly exciting as we embark on a new chapter starting with a centenary year, which gives opportunity to celebrate the vibrant and exciting history and diversity of North Mid as a landmark within Enfield and Haringey."
Maria Kane, who was the North Mid's chief executive from December 2017 until recently, is now fulfilling the same role at the North Bristol NHS Trust. It was during her tenure that the North Mid's board decided not to follow the path taken by Chase Farm and Barnet hospitals and join the Royal Free London Group - a proposal which dated back to 2016, when the Edmonton hospital's emergency department was in deep crisis. In 2019 she was made an OBE for services to health care leadership over two decades, particularly in north London.
Commenting on her move to the West Country, she said:
"Although it will be a geographical move for me – I have been in north London for many years as my family has grown up – I am already aware that our local communities around North Mid and in north Bristol have a considerable amount in common, and I will bring to NBT my passion for using the profile and position which acute hospitals have as anchor organisations in their community to lead by example in transforming the health and care of the local population."
Links
Opening of new children's ward follows £4.4m investment to upgrade facilities at North Mid
New North Mid chief executive named as Dr Nnenna Osuji
The North Middlesex Hospital turns down the Royal Free
