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A shocking 60% of sick kids taken to casualty at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital do not need A&E treatment, according to a top consultant.

Dr Mary Ryan, a paediatrician and clinical director at the West Derby hospital, said 200 children a day are brought to its emergency department – 17% more than a year ago.

The new Alder Hey opened in October after being rebuilt at a cost of £237m. This includes a new, updated A&E department.

Dr Ryan said: “We would say 60% of the children we see could have sought treatment elsewhere. A lot of people are still very unaware of the alternatives to A&E.

“We are trying to encourage people to think about where to find help other than at hospital, such as walk-in centres or out-of-hours GP services.”

Dr Ryan continued: “It’s hard when you have an ill child to know what to do and I have full sympathy for parents.

“Children can look ill when in fact they are fine, but they can also look fine when they are not.

“There is perhaps just a lack of knowledge about what else is out there, so people come to A&E.

“Not many people know there is a paid-up GP in the community waiting to see patients after hours.”

The busiest time for Alder Hey’s A&E is between 7pm and 9pm after parents have come home from work.

The department is staffed by 11 nurses and between six and 10 doctors at any given time.

Dr Ryan said: “In the new, A&E each child now gets their own room with a plasma screen with access to Alder Hey TV.

“In particular, the new emergency department is a lot nice for teenagers and children with mental health issues. There is also a multi-sensory room for children with autism.”