Royal Hospital for Sick Children

Paediatric Emergency Department

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children or the ‘Sick Kids’ as it is fondly known currently lies in the centre of Edinburgh in the beautiful setting on the Meadows. In 2017 it is set to move to Little France where it will lie adjacent to The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. This move will see the Sick Kids increase its’ field of work by seeing children and adolescents up to the age of 16 years (previously 13 years).

The Sick Kids Emergency Department see 42,000 attendances per year and thrives on a mixture of high acuity medical and surgical presentations and trauma. We also receive children from Medic 1 pre-hospital flying squad and the Paediatric Retrieval Service. We have a team of 10 Consultants who provide supervision of shop-floor activity and also contribute to the Emergency Departments at SJH and RIE with some combining their role in Paediatric Medicine. In addition to this team of supportive consultants we also have experienced Nurses, Emergency Nurse Practitioners, Orthopaedic Technicians and Physician's Assistants. This mix provides a highly specialised team who strive to make the experience of Paediatric Emergency Medicine a valuable learning journey in a fun and enjoyable environment.

The Emergency Department at the Sick Kids offers a vast array of teaching and training opportunities. We incorporate a very active clinic in our daily activity which sees a range of pathology and allows the chance to witness the progression in management of these children. There is a weekly structured teaching programme covering all the basics of Paediatric Emergency Medicine and, due to the degree of Consultant presence, opportunities for real time training on the shop-floor are plentiful.

We are committed to maintaining current high standards in Paediatric care and developing strategies to ensure the specialty delivers on all levels. It is an exciting and rewarding time to be a part of this team.