April 26, 2000

Contact:
Nancy Lawrence
Media Relations, LHSC
519-685-8500, ext. 77642

New entrance to Children's Emergency Department effective May 1st

(LONDON, Ontario) - On Monday, May 1st, the entrance to the Children's Emergency Department at London Health Sciences Centre's Westminster Campus (corner of Wellington and Commissioners Road East) will move. Patients are asked to follow the portable neon signs which will be positioned at both the Commissioners Road entrance and the Baseline Road entrance. The new entrance will also be clearly marked by a large green emergency sign.

"Adult patients are to continue going to either the South Street Site emergency department or the University Campus emergency department for their care," says Dr. Gary Joubert, Director of Paediatric Emergency at LHSC. "This relocation affects children's emergency services only."

The Children's Emergency entrance relocation is necessary to accommodate ongoing construction as mandated by the Health Services Restructuring Commission. Adult emergency departments at South Street, University Campus, and St. Joseph's Health Care remain open at this time.

The new Children's Emergency entrance is located at the south/east corner of the hospital, just past the Canadian Blood Services Building as you enter off Commissioners Road. As a precautionary measure, security staff equipped with two-way radios will be positioned at the old entrance throughout the night hours to ensure patients find their way to the new entrance. Also, city police, fire department, ambulance service and taxi companies have been notified that the entrance has relocated.