Sheffield doctor gives advice on what to do if your child is ill or injured during the pandemic

In an address to the public, Emergency Department Consultant Dr Edward Snelson said that it was important that children in need or treatment for serious illness or injury were looked at as quickly as possible, and that hospitals were still able to facilitate that in spite of the pressure of Covid-19.

On behalf of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Snelson said: “We know that people are worried about going to see a GP or coming to the hospital emergency department, and we appreciate the fact that people are doing everything they can to stay away from hospitals and that is helping us.

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"But we want to make sure you come to hospital or see a GP if you need it for your ill or injured child.

"It is often possible to treat minor illnesses at home and get advice from 111 or your local pharmacy, but in some cases it is really important to come to hospital when your child is seriously unwell.

"If you think your child may have a serious or life threatening illness or injury we do still want you to come down to the emergency department. It is fine to do that during the pandemic.

"We use lots of protective equipment to protect people from catching infections so don’t be surprised if you turn up and everybody is wearing masks and gowns and gloves.

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"If you are not sure about whether something is a serious illness then you can try to get through to 111 but we know they are very busy at the moment.

"GPs are available for advice and iyt may be possible to get hold of a GP which is a really good way of having a discussion about whether something can be seen by them or if you need to come to the emergency department.”

You can speak to your local GP by contacting their surgery and arranging an appointment. This can take place online or over the phone as well as in person.

You can also book appointments online, or by going into the surgery in person.