Provision of general paediatric surgical services in a regional hospital.
BACKGROUND
In Ireland, specialist paediatric surgery is carried out in paediatric hospitals in Dublin. General surgeons/consultants in other surgical specialities provide paediatric surgical care in regional centres. There has been a failure to train general surgeons with paediatric skills to replace these surgeons upon retirement.


OBJECTIVE
To assess paediatric surgical workload in one regional centre to focus the debate regarding the future provision of general paediatric surgery in Ireland.


METHODS
Hospital in-patient enquiry (HIPE) system was used to identify total number of paediatric surgical admissions and procedures. Cases assessed requiring hospital transfer.


RESULTS
Of 17,478 surgical patients treated, 2,584 (14.8%) were under 14 years. A total of 2,154 procedures were performed.


CONCLUSIONS
Regional centres without dedicated paediatric surgeons deliver care to large numbers of paediatric patients. The demand for care highlights the need for formal paediatric services/appropriate surgical training for general surgical trainees.
Zgraj
O
O
Departments of Surgery and Anaesthesia, Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick, Ireland.
Clarke Moloney
M
M
Motherway
C
C
Grace
P A
PA
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005843:Geography; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*