This section should provide you with the information you need whilst your child is in the assessment area of the Children’s Ward. You may have already been seen by your GP or Emergency Department. Your child will now be assessed and treated by a specialist children’s doctor.
Please ask a member of staff on the ward if you have any questions.
The Process
- Your child will be seen by a nurse, who will take a set of observations and ask you some questions. They will use this to decide if your child needs to be seen by a doctor urgently.
- You will likely next be seen by a junior doctor who will ask you a number of questions, examine your child and start any treatment or tests necessary.
- A senior doctor will see your child and decide whether he or she needs to stay on the ward or can safely go home.
Waiting Times
Children are seen in order of how sick they are. This may mean that children who arrive after your child are seen first. We do not have an appointment based system.
We try our best to see children as quickly as possible, however at certain times of day we have only one senior doctor who covers many different areas of the hospital and may be busy with an emergency. This can sometimes lead to a delay in your child being seen.
We appreciate you may have had a long wait elsewhere prior to arriving here, however we aim to see children within a 4 hour timeframe.
‘Open Access’
If your child is able to go home, you will be given ‘open access’ to the assessment area for the next 48 hours. This means you can phone the ward if you are worried about your child or think they need to see a doctor again. The ward number is: 01324 567203
Please phone the ward before coming, as there may not always be a doctor available immediately.
Unless told otherwise by your doctor, open access stops at 48 hours. This means any concerns you have after this period need to be discussed with your GP, NHS24 or Emergency Department.
Results
If there are test results outstanding by the time your child is discharged home, a doctor will phone you with these when they are available. For some tests this can be a few days, for others a few weeks.
The hospital number will come up as 0800 6783393 on your phone, so please don’t ignore this number if you are waiting for results.
As a general rule, if you have not heard anything after a week and are concerned, please phone the ward between 12 – 4pm Monday – Friday.
Facilities
We have a large playroom that your child is welcome to use. Please check with your nurse that your child is well enough to do so first.
A parents coffee room is located on the way out of the ward. Please help yourselves to tea, coffee and biscuits. Only adults are permitted in the coffee room due to hot drinks.
Toilets for parents are located next door to the coffee room.
What we can provide
Please let a member of staff know if you require any of these items:
- Breastfeeding Facilities and Expressing Pumps
- Formula Milk: Cow and Gate, Aptamil and SMA
- Bottles and Teats
- Nappies
- Cotton wool / wipes
- Water and Juice
- Snacks for children such as toast, yoghurt or ice lollies
- Warming of bottles
Leaving the Ward
The children’s ward and assessment area are kept secure for children’s safety. Please ask at the main desk to be let out, then proceed to the exit and push the door.
Breastfeeding Friendly
You are welcome to breastfeed your baby anywhere on the Children’s ward. Please ask a member of staff if you feel you require a more private space.
Visiting
If your child is admitted to the ward, we allow one parent or guardian to stay with them at all times and will provide a bed overnight. Parents / guardians can visit at any time. Anyone else must visit between 10am and 7pm.