SCHOOLCHILDREN and their parents will be armed with winter health advice during their Christmas break thanks to a joint project by the Education Authority and the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Information was circulated to all schools before they broke for Christmas highlighting advice on the online Children’s Symptom Checker and encouraging them to share details with parents and carers.
The Children’s Symptom Checker has been developed by Belfast Trust’s Paediatric Emergency and General Paediatric Teams, in consultation with Alder Hey Hospital. It includes symptoms seen regularly at the Emergency Department of the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. The Children’s Symptom Checker is very easy to use and provides parents with timely advice on what actions to take when a child becomes unwell. It covers everything from coughs and colds to more serious symptoms. It can be found on the Belfast Trust website.
Dr Julie-Ann Collins, Paediatric Emergency Consultant at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said: "The Children's Symptom Checker is an easy to use, informative tool which provides high quality, reliable and evidence-based advice to empower parents and carers when their child is unwell.
“Children regularly get sick, particularly during the winter months when respiratory illnesses are circulating widely. We understand that this can be worrying for parents and want to ensure that children receive the right care, at the right time and by the most appropriate team. We would encourage parents to visit our online Children’s Symptom Checker to find information on the most common conditions and symptoms that affect children. The traffic light system guides you through what to do in different situations in order to find the best course of action for your child’s condition.”
INFORMATION: Dr Julie-Ann Collins
Dr Sarah Kapur, consultant paediatrician, added: “Bringing a child to an Emergency Department is sometimes the right course of action when there are red flag features as described in the Children’s Symptom Checker. The Children’s Symptom Checker also provides recommendations on other available supports such as guidance on self-care at home, GP services and pharmacies. We also hope it provides reassurance where appropriate to parents and helps them make informed choices about their child’s care.”
