NHS Tayside is exploring the feasibility of creating a children’s waiting area in accident and emergency.
A recent decision report from the Scottish Public Service’s Ombudsman outlined a complaint about the children’s waiting arrangements in a hospital A&E department run by the health board.
The complainer said that when she had attended with her grandson she was appalled that children waited with adults and were therefore “exposed to bad language and inappropriate behaviour”.
According to the report: “She said that despite complaining to the board’s chief executive, little action was taken and the board failed properly to deal with her complaint.”
The ombudsman investigation confirmed that at the time of the complaint the board were simply required to provide emergency care “within a safe environment”.
The report said: “Since then, new standards have been introduced which are more than mere recommendations.
“The board are currently exploring the feasibility of creating a children’s waiting area in A&E and reviewing how this could be achieved.”
The ombudsman recommended that the board keep them updated about the feasibility study.
They did uphold the complaint that the board took too long to respond to the woman’s complaint and it recommended that the board apologise to her.