Alder Hey is one of Europe's busiest children's hospitals. Every year they care for over 270,000 children, young people and their families and we lead research into children's medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology. A children's hospital is different and Alder Hey's job is more than just treating an illness. At Alder Hey they look after a child and their family and that includes mums, dads, brothers and sisters.
They treat everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions from their main hospital site in Liverpool and across community sites and clinics throughout the North West.
It's an exciting time for Alder Hey. 2014 was their 100th birthday and in October 2015 they move into a brand new hospital in a park next to their existing site, and there's nothing like it anywhere else in Europe.
- Alder Hey is:-
- A Centre of Excellence for cancer, as well as spinal, heart and brain conditions
- A Department of Health Centre for Head and Face Surgery
- A Centre of Excellence for Muscular Dystrophy and the first UK Centre of Excellence for Childhood Lupus
- One of four national centres for childhood epilepsy surgery, a joint service with the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
- A designated Children's Major Trauma Centre
We have Europe's only intra-operative 3-T MRI scanner which is a pioneering technology for neurosurgery, reducing repeat operations in 90% of cases.
They couldn't do any of this without the help of the Alder Hey Children's Charity, who raise money to help them buy lifesaving medical equipment and fund research into children's issues.
- In 2014, Alder Hey turned 100 years old. They were the first to:
- Test penicillin, saving a child from pneumonia in 1944
- Establish a neonatal unit in the UK
- Cure the UK's most commonly encountered congenital heart defect
- Pioneer various splints and appliances, including the famous Thomas Splint
- Introduce 'liquid glass' to reduce infection
- Be accredited by the World Health Organisation for public health promotion
For more information or to see how you can get involved visit www.alderheycharity.org