Table 1 Characteristics of the populations in each health board (a geographical area where a single organisation provides healthcare for the population). The three Scottish NHS boards with no paediatric in patient facility are not included in this table (NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles)

NHS Ayrshire and Arran

58,660

1310 (45)

2 (1,4)

2.4 (0.8, 7.2)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened July 2006.

Yes

One hospital, in Kilmarnock where the SSPAU is next to but separate from the inpatient ward. The SSPAU has 10 beds/cots in two cubicles.

NHS Borders

17,756

1831 (15)

3 (2,4)

2.9 (1.0, 8.4)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened March 2012.

Yes

One hospital, in Melrose. In March 2012, two beds on the paediatric ward were nominated short stay beds.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway

22,478

2400 (9)

3 (2,4)

2.4 (0.9, 6.7)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened July 2011.

Yes

One hospital, in Dumfries. A 4-bedded short stay unit opened in 2011, as part of the medical ward and was open Mon-Fri 0900–2130 and only received paediatric emergency admission and had no overnight stays. A new hospital opened in 2017 (2 miles from the old hospital site) with a 12-bed SSPAU open Mon-Fri for 24 h and which accepts all medical, surgical, orthopaedic emergency admissions and elective theatre and ambulatory care.

NHS Fife

60,109

512 (117)

2 (1,4)

2.3 (0.8, 6.0)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened Jan 2011 when the paediatric department moved back to a new building on the original hospital site. To accommodate building, the paediatric department had been relocated for two years to another hospital less than one mile away.

Yes

One hospital, in Kirkcaldy. A general practitioner assessment bay was opened in Jan 2011 and called the SSPAU since November 2017. There are four beds in the unit.

NHS Forth Valley

49,594

1020 (49)

3 (2,4)

2.7 (0.9, 7.0)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened August 2011 when new hospital opened (on different site to old hospital).

Yes

One hospital, initially in Stirling but moved nine miles to Larbert in 2011. The SSPAU in the new hospital has 8 beds including two three-bedded bays and beds for examining patients.

NHS Grampian

91,660

3360 (27)

3 (2,4)

2.0 (0.7, 5.7)

Two hospitals (65 miles apart) each with a medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened Jan 2004 when larger of two units moved to new hospital (on the same site as the old hospital).

Yes

Two hospitals, in Aberdeen and Elgin. A SSPAU opened in January 2004 at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. The unit has five cubicles and two five bedded wards. The unit was part of a new hospital which also opened January 2004. A second smaller unit at Dr. Gray’s Hospital in Elgin does not have an SSPAU

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

179,365

453 (396)

2 (1,4)

1.8 (0.6, 5.1)

Two hospitals (10 miles apart) each with a medical paediatric unit. SSPAU opened in largest unit in 1996–7, and in Nov 2000 in the smaller unit. The larger unit has a paediatric emergency department (ED) and children seen and sent home in the ED are not considered an admission

No (SSPAU opened in larger unit before 2000)

Initially three hospitals, Yorkhill, Paisley and Inverclyde. Royal Glasgow Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill). A short stay ward opened in 1996–7, a six bed bay, a four bed bay and four cubicles. Royal Alexandra Hospital (Paisley). An acute assessment unit opened in November 2000. There were 5 beds in a bay and one cublicle. Inverclyde Royal Hospital admitted patients until November 2004, thereafter the inpatient service was centralised to RAH. There was an isolated short stay unit Monday to Friday with no overnight admissions until 2006.

NHS Highland

50,588

12,507 (4)

3 (2,4)

2.3 (0.8, 6.6)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened May 2016.

No (SSPAU opened after 2013)

One hospital, in Inverness. A five-bedded SSPAU opened in May 2016, next to the paediatric medical ward.

NHS Lanarkshire

111,306

883 (126)

2 (1,4)

2.3 (0.8, 6.7)

One medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened Feb 2005.

Yes

NHS Lothian

135,517

700 (194)

3 (2,4)

1.8 (0.6, 4.9)

Two hospitals (17 miles apart) each with a medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened 2005 in smaller of two units only. The larger unit has a paediatric emergency department (ED) and children seen and sent home in the ED are not considered an admission.

No (SSPAU not opened in larger unit)

Two hospitals, one in Edinburgh and one in Livingstone. The hospital in Edinburgh (the larger of the two) has no SSPAU. The hospital in Livingstone opened a Paediatric Assessment Unit in 2005, a 6 bedded bay on the paediatric medical ward.

NHS Tayside

63,309

2986 (21)

3 (2,4)

2.8 (1.0, 7.4)

Two hospitals (22 miles apart) each with a medical paediatric ward. SSPAU opened 1997 in larger units and May 2004 in smaller unit when it moved to closing overnight.

No (SSPAU opened in larger unit before 2000)

Two hospitals, in Dundee and Perth. Ninewells hospital (Dundee). A paediatric assessment area was set up in late 1997, initially a bay in the ward then with a move to a new building in 2002 the unit was a separate area adjacent to the paediatric inpatient unit

Perth Royal Infirmary (Perth). Inpatient services moved to Dundee in 2005 and an ambulatory care unit was maintained in Perth (open Mon-Fri 10 am-6 pm) where children with acute illnesses can be assessed.

Overall

3 (2,4)

2.3 (0.75, 6.25)

Data from 7 of 11 units included