Paediatric Department
West Suffolk Hospital
Hardwick Lane
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 2QZ

The main phone numbers for the ward are 01284 713315 and 01284 713717.

The Ward Clerk can be contacted on 01284 713790 or 01284 713745.

The fax number for the ward is 01284 713407

 Children's Outpatients Clinic 01284 713928

The Neonatal Unit ( Formerly known as the Special Care Baby Unit ) Ph 01284 712854

For any information on the Children's website please e-mail the editor Dr Arun Saraswatula on arun.saraswatula@wsh.nhs.uk

Members of the team

Clinical Director Women and Children's Health - Dr Michelle Judd

General Manager Women and Children's Health - Patricia Davis

Medical

There are 10 Paediatric Consultants in the Medical Team, including 2 Acute Paediatricians:

Dr R Lakshman joined the West Suffolk as consultant paediatrician in 2004. He obtained most of his paediatric training at the Children's Hospital in Sheffield. He trained both as a general paediatrician and as a specialist in paediatric infectious disease and immunology. He looks after children with a wide variety of problems but has specialist expertise in allergy and rheumatology.

 

Hello I am Melanie Clements. I have been a consultant since 2002 and joined the West Suffolk hospital in 2004. I am the lead paediatrician and also the lead for safeguarding children. I am the clinical lead on the West Suffolk hospital paediatric strategy group and I am on the children’s programme board at the SHA and the ambulatory care sub group. I also work with the NHS institute as a clinical advisor in the work around urgent care for children, across the whole system and developing clinical pathways of care for common urgent conditions. I am passionate about improving services for children and developing clear pathways and networks for care. I am very much a general and ambulatory paediatrician and I have a sub-speciality interest in respiratory paediatrics holding specialist asthma and CF clinics. I am very proud of the week we have done locally - the successful opening of the children’s assessment unit, extended hours consultant working, consultant of the week. We have been busier year on year but we have reduced the length of stay for children with 55% staying <4 hrs.

Dr Ian Evans trained in Paediatrics in Leicester, South Wales and East Anglia. He was Consultant Paediatrician at Warwick before being appointed to his current post at West Suffolk Hospital in 2002. His main area of interest is Neonatology but sees a wide variety of general paediatric patients in clinic. He is a Neonatal Life Support Trainer and is undergraduate tutor in paediatrics at WSH. His interests outside of medicine include sports, music and a local conservation group

Dr Martina Noone. I have worked as a part-time consultant at the West Suffolk Hospital since 2004.  I completed my training from Manchester in 1992 and have since worked in Manchester, Liver pool, Birmingham, London and Cambridge.  My interests are neonatology and cardiology. I was involved with some of the early research work with cooling and hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.  I have 2 girls aged 3 and 5 years who keep me busy outside work.

 

Dr Binu Anand is a general paediatrician with a special interest in Diabetes and Endocrinology. He trained in East Anglia and London and joined the team at the West Suffolk Hospital in 2007. He is the educational supervisor to the junior trainees. He is married with 2 children and loves cricket and Team India.

Dr Katherine Piccinelli joined the West Suffolk Hospital as Consultand Paediatrician  in 2009. She trained in the North East and East Anglia, and is a general paediatrician , but also has an interest in paediatric oncology and palliative care.

Dr Peter Powell is a General Paediatrician who joined the team in 2010 from a Consultant post in Bolton. He has a broad range of interests in Paediatrics including Neonatology, Teaching and Training and liaison work with both Primary and Mental Health services. He trained at Cambridge and the London Hospital with training posts in London and the North West of England.

 

We are pleased to announce the return of Dr Arun Sarawastula who joined the team as a Consultant Paediatrician in Aug 2011. He has a special interest in Neurology, especially Children with Epilepsy.

  

Consultants                                                  Secretary

Dr M Clements ( Lead ) ext 3214                  Sherri Barton    ext 2627

Dr A Saraswatula         ext 2989                   Sam Gilhart       ext 3748

Dr R Lakshman             ext 3635                   Sam Gilhart       ext 3748

Dr I Evans                     ext 3635                  Sarah Leggett   ext 3749

Dr M Noone                   ext 3747                   Helen Handley   ext 3749

Dr B Anand                    ext 3747                  Topsy Nichol       ext 3750

Dr K Piccinelli                 ext 3214                   Sherri Barton     ext 2627

Dr Peter Powell             ext 3250                   Sarah Leggett   ext 3749 

These are supported by a team of registrars.

Completing the team are 6 FY2 and 1 FY1 doctors who change every 4 months on average.

In addition to the Paediatric Medical Team, doctors from other specialties in the hospital see children on the Ward.

Note: Internal extension numbers should be prefixed with 01284 71.... if calling from outside the Trust.

Nursing

Our longstanding Ward Manager ( ext 3319 ) Ann Robinson retired at the end of December 2010 and we are very pleased to anounce that her replacement Digi Cave who brings with her a wealth of experience and new ideas was able to start in January 2011. Digi will be supported by a Team of Children’s Nurses, Nursery Nurses, Nursing Assistants and Ward Clerks support her, led by Sister Alix Harben, Sister Dawn Dorrington and Sister Alison Garters.

Gemma Dale is the Paediatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner, taking on part of the SHO role & supporting Medical & Nursing Staff.She runs a clinic in COPD once a week.

Sister Sheena Wakeling co-ordinates the Children’s Outpatient Department, supported by a small team of Nursing Assistants/Receptionists

There is a Practice Development Nurse, Shena Scholes (ext 2808), who is responsible for ensuring all the Staff are kept up to date with their skills and   research based practice.

There is a full time Teacher, Nicola Baldry (ext 2684) who makes sure that the children do not fall behind with their school work, liaising with schools for longer term patients.

The Play Specialist is Leigh Baldwin (ext 2730), and she is supported by a wonderful team of volunteers, who give up some of their spare time to help the children.

The Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children, Lisa Sarson, has an office on the ward and can be contacted on x2808, as can Ann Smith, who provides a link with Health Visitors and School Nurses.