Aberdeen hospital first to raise emergency treatment age limit to 16

THE Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital has become the first major children’s hospital in Scotland to raise the age limit for children being admitted for emergency treatment from 14 to 16.

A spokesman for NHS Grampian said: “The move follows recommendations of the Kerr Report and the National Steering Group for Specialist Children’s Services Age Appropriate Care Working Group.

“The aim is to reflect the specific developmental, emotional and psychosocial needs of adolescent patients and to ensure age appropriate care is delivered in the right place.

“Aberdeen is first major children’s hospital in Scotland to deliver fully on this recommendation.”

She added: “As always, anyone seeking non-emergency medical advice out-of-hours should contact NHS 24 in the first instance. Young people make up ten per cent of the Scottish population and are responsible for around four per cent of the 48,000 hospital admissions every year.”