What is the ACE Service?

ACE stands for ‘Ambulatory Care Experience’. The word ‘ambulatory’ means that care will be provided out of hospital and in your own home.

The ACE Service has been set up by Bradford family doctors (GPs) and specialist children’s doctors (paediatricians) and nurses based at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The service is run by specialist children’s nurses who are experts in caring for unwell children. The ACE nurse will be working under the guidance of a senior children’s doctor (consultant paediatrician) who will be based at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

This means that your child will be looked after by the hospital team but in your own home. Your family doctor (GP) will be kept informed of how well your child is doing.

The ACE Service aims to provide the best possible care for your child while they are at home.

While under the care of the ACE Service your specialist nurse will:

• Assess how your child is doing
• Ask you if you think your child is getting better, staying the same or getting worse
• Help you continue the treatment recommended by the GP, ANP or doctor who referred you to the ACE team
• Give you information and advice on signs to look out for that may mean your child is getting worse and needs more frequent nursing or medical input
• Tell you how to get more help if you need it during the day or night
• Provide advice on managing future illness
• Provide related advice (if appropriate) eg on smoking cessation
• Make recommendations to your family or hospital doctor if a follow-up is required