Borders General Hospital children's unit change examined
Views are being sought on a clinical strategy which could see a children's ward at Borders General Hospital replaced with a new specialist centre.
The changes form part of NHS Borders proposals which are now open for consultation.
It would see some acutely ill youngsters sent to Edinburgh's new Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
The new unit in the hospital would have fewer beds but would also house mental health and development facilities.
NHS Borders chief executive Calum Campbell said he thought the proposal was the right solution for the region.
"We believe that more children can be treated here," he said.
"We will have excellent outpatient clinics and the child development stuff will be done here.
"Acutely ill children, though, are likely to be treated in Edinburgh but they can be brought back here quickly.
"I believe that is the model of care I would want for my child and therefore that is the model I would want for the people in the Borders."
The full consultation document on the changes is available online.
It claims that the move to a Children and Young People's Centre (CYPC) at the BGH would bring about a range of improvements.
"For the first time in the Scottish Borders, services would be delivered in a purpose-built environment, designed with children and young people in mind," the report states.
"The centre would improve the patient experience for children and their families and, in the long run, improve outcomes for the children of the Borders."
The consultation on the full range of changes being proposed closes on 6 June.