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Listed below is information you may find helpful whilst your child is in the assessment area of the Children’s Ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. The Assessment Area is where children are seen, assessed and treated, if required, by specialist children’s doctors or Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP).

Please ask a member of staff  in the Children’s Ward if you have any additional questions.

The Assessment Process

1. You and your child will initially be seen by a nurse, who will take a set of observations and ask you some questions about your child’s health and symptoms. They will use this information to help decide if your child needs to be urgently seen by a doctor or ANP.
2. You will then be seen by a junior doctor/ANP who will ask you a number of questions, examine your child and start any treatment or tests necessary.
3. A senior doctor/ANP will then see your child and decide whether they need to stay in the Children’s Ward or can safely go home.

Waiting Times

We do not have an appointment based system and children with more serious illnesses or injuries are seen first. This may mean that children who arrive after your child are seen before them.

We try our best to see all children as quickly as possible however at certain times of day staff may be busy responding to an emergency which may mean your child may have to wait longer to be seen.

We appreciate you may have had a long wait elsewhere prior to arriving in the ward and your patience and support is really appreciated.

Visiting Arrangements

If your child is admitted to the ward, one parent or guardian is able to stay with them at all times and a bed is available for overnight stays. Parents / guardians can also visit at any time. Any other visitors are asked to visit between 10.00am and 7.00pm.

Open Access Arrangements

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 Children’s Ward if you are worried about your child or think they may need to see a doctor again. The ward number is: 01324 567203.

Unless you have been advised otherwise by your doctor/ANP, open access arrangements end after 48 hours. If you have any concerns after this period you should contact your GP Practice, NHS 24 on 111 if your GP Practice is closed or visit NHS Inform for health information and advice.

Test Results

If there are test results outstanding by the time your child is discharged home, a doctor/ANP 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.

If you have not heard anything after a week and are concerned, please phone the ward direct between 12noon – 4.00pm Monday – Friday.

Ward Facilities

Staff can provide activities and resources to help keep your child entertained during their stay in hospital. Please ask a staff member if you feel this would be helpful for your child.

A coffee room for parents is located on the way out of the ward. Please help yourselves to tea, coffee and biscuits. Please note only adults are permitted in the coffee room due to hot drinks.

Toilets for parents are located next door to the coffee room.

Supplies

Please let a member of staff know if you require any of the following 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 Children’s 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.