Teen with Mental Age of 4 Denied Children's Ward Care

A health trust has faced criticism for denying an 18-year-old teenager, Regan Kelly, care on a children's ward at Coleraine's Causeway Hospital prior to a significant medical procedure. Regan, who has a learning disability, epilepsy, and autism, and a mental age of four, was scheduled for stoma surgery.

Her parents, Karen and Anthony Kelly, had a written assurance that Regan would be accommodated on the children's ward, which they deemed crucial for her health due to her susceptibility to infections, particularly debilitating urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Despite this assurance, upon arrival for the scheduled surgery last month, the family was informed Regan would not be placed in the children's ward. This led to significant distress for the family, who have battled for years to manage Regan's UTIs.

The Northern Health Trust has apologized for the distress and anxiety caused, admitting that clear, consistent, and timely information was not provided. While established practice generally limits children's ward care to under 16s, the trust stated decisions are usually made on individual circumstances and considered a surgical ward the safest environment post-operation.

Regan's surgery date, which was rescheduled for this week and also indicated placement on the adult surgical ward, has now been deferred to allow further discussion with the family to resolve the situation and agree on a surgical plan. The family's primary concern remains ensuring Regan receives care in a safe and clean environment to control her infections.