The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust recently hosted three ‘Super Saturday’ days at its Russells Hall Hospital, with surgeries, morning until night, dedicated solely to children.
By focusing on paediatric patients, the days allowed children to undergo various elective surgeries, relieving pressures on wait times and addressing the health inequalities for children awaiting surgery.
Designed to offer exclusive, streamlined surgical care, the hospital created a comfortable, family-friendly environment to reduce anxiety for both the child and their parents and carers.
Diane Wake, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled to see the success of our Super Saturday events over the last few months.
“This initiative allowed our staff – including our paediatrics, anaesthetics, theatre staff, day-case staff, play team, operations team and many more – to dedicate their day to delivering the right care to children needing surgery.
“The days helped us streamline care for our patients and provided families with the peace of mind that their children were in expert hands.
“The feedback from parents and carers so far has been resounding, and we look forward to running more Super Saturday’s moving forward.”
Karen Anderson, head of children’s services, said: “We know that surgery can be a daunting experience, and even more so for our paediatric patients, so these days are of utmost importance to our community and staff.
“Dedicating the day to our children’s cases and turning our facilities into a mini children’s hospital meant that each child was with others waiting or recovering from their surgeries, making the whole experience less frightening.
“It was brilliant to see all of our teams work seamlessly together from consultation to recovery, with the same aim in mind – working efficiently and thoroughly to give the best experience for the child and get them home as quickly as possible at the end of the day.”
Helping to prepare children for their surgery, the team shared an informative video, produced collaboratively with the RGUC Digital Media team, for all upcoming paediatric patients detailing what to expect on the day. Over the three days 79 children underwent surgical procedures ranging from tonsillectomies to squint surgeries.
Chloe Littler, mum of 7-year-old Ronnie, said: “The Super Saturday idea is brilliant and seeing so many children on the ward was amazing. Our son arrived early in the morning and the staff did a great job in calming his anxieties. Thanks to everyone at Russells Hall Hospital for a great job.”
These events marked a significant milestone in the hospital’s ongoing commitment to enhancing paediatric healthcare.
