Phoenix Ward

Phoenix ward is a 24 bedded ward caring for children and young people from 10 days up to their 16th birthday with a range of surgical and medical conditions.

Admissions

If your child is admitted to the ward  it can be a very difficult time for a family. Your child will have been seen and assessed either in Accident and Emergency or Children's Assessment unit or will have had a planned appointment and a plan of care will have been discussed with you. 

Your child will be allocated a named nurse on each shift, so you will have a named contact at all times. The opportunity for parents to discuss their child's care with a consultant can take place during the morning ward round.   The child's hospital and nursing notes may be shared with other healthcare professionals directly involved with your child's care.

Preparing for planned admission to hospital

Children who will require an overnight stay for planned surgery will be offered an appointment to attend our pre admission clinic where they will be shown around the ward and prepared for their admission by one of our play specialist staff. This appointment will also give parents / carers an opportunity to ask questions and gain information about preparing their child for admission.

Preparing for theatre:

It is important for the child’s safety to follow these guidelines prior to their anaesthetic.

Stop food and milk six hours before the operation

Breast milk four hours before the operation

Please encourage the child to drink either water or weak squash up to two hours before their operation.

The nurses will inform parents of the approximate time of the operation.

Before the operation some local anaesthetic cream will be applied to the back of the child's hands and covered with a clear plaster (not used for children under one month). Children wear a theatre gown.

Normally one parent can accompany their child to the anaesthetic room until they are asleep. The child will either breath gas through a mask or by a liquid given by a ‘butterfly’ in the back of the hand. Parents will be accompanied back to the ward by a nurse.

In theatre the child will receive pain relief.   When the child has woken up a parent and nurse will accompany them back to the ward. Fluid and food will be given as soon as possible.

What to Bring

• Some of the child's favourite toys 

• Toiletries for child and parent

• Medication, tablets or inhaler 

• Favourite soft drinks (babies need feeding bottles, milk powder, preferred food and a good supply of   nappies) 

• Children's health care record book 

• Children are encouraged to wear their own clothes in hospital 

• Please ensure that you have some Paracetamol and /or Ibuprofen at home for use following discharge, as these will not be routinely dispensed.  

Meal Times

Breakfast from 8am
Lunchtime from 12:00pm
Tea from 5:30pm

Drinks and simple snacks (biscuits/toast/fruit) are available throughout the day for the children.

The ward can cater for special diets, the named nurse will be able to make arrangements for this. A dietician is available to talk about special diets.

Play and Recreation

Play and Recreation is an important part of a child’s development. Phoenix Ward has a play specialist who will support children and young people in play and recreation. The play specialist is also trained in distraction techniques that are used to prepare children for procedures.

The ward has a large playroom with a wide range of toys and games available. There are also televisions with videos available for bedside use. Each bed has a bedside television which is free for the patients use TV switch off at 21.00. In the afternoons during term time a teacher visits the ward for long stay school-aged children. Children able to leave their beds need to be supervised when playing.

Discharge

On discharge home a electrontic letter will be sent to the GP/local doctor explaining all treatments the child has received. Parents will be given a nursing discharge letter and any medication for the child. Outpatient and follow up appointments will be discussed with the doctor prior to discharge and the appointment will be sent to parents in the post.

Facilities

Chair beds are available for one parent to stay overnight. Please bring a sleeping bag or duvet, and a pillow. For parents who are staying a rest room where simple snacks, tea and coffee can be prepared. All food in the fridge/freezer in the parents’ room should be labelled. The hospital canteen is open for most of the day. Staff will be able to advise you of other facilities on site. All hot drinks should be drunk in the parents’ room to maintain a safe environment for the children.

For more information on the facilities at Broomfield Hospital
Please click here.