Welcome to the
Variety Children’s Hospital
at King’s
Information for children, young people,
parents and guardians
All about Variety Children’s Hospital at King’s
Welcome to the Variety Children’s Hospital at King’s. We provide
care to children and young people with a wide variety of
conditions. We have four inpatient wards, a children’s critical
care centre, a neonatal intensive care unit, a day care unit
and a busy outpatient department. This leaflet gives you
information about what to expect during your child’s stay
with us. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate
to ask a member of our team who
will be happy to help.
2
What can I bring in?
Please bring in the following
essential items for your child’s
hospital stay:
• nightwear and toiletries for you
and your child
• nappies and wipes – we have a
limited number of nappies for
emergencies and do not normally
supply them
• any electronic devices such
as phones or tablets (with
headphones)
• your child’s favourite toy or
comforter
• enough clothes for a few days,
including indoor footwear
• any medication that your child
may be taking – although we are
happy for you to continue giving
your child their medication, it
must be handed to a nurse to be
safely locked away
• UK currency or other means of
payment – we only provide meals
for one relative so you may need
money to buy food and drinks for
other relatives
You are responsible for all your
property, the Trust will not accept
liability for any property damage or
loss.
I was made to feel so
welcome by the staff. I
am grateful for their care
and kindness.
Ruby, 16
3
What is provided?
• Breakfast cereals for patients.
These are stored in the kitchen
areas and will be delivered to you
by our host/hostess team and
nurses.
• We will give your child three
meals a day (including breakfast)
and offer them fruit juices and
snacks throughout the day.
• All meals for one resident parent,
carer or guardian.
• Disposable bottles and teats,
sterilising units and tablets.
• Milk feeds for infants and
children.
• Breast pump and meals for
mothers who are breast feeding.
• Laundry facilities in some ward
areas.
Accommodation
One parent, carer or guardian is welcome to stay overnight on the
children’s wards, using one of the guest beds we provide. Please ensure
your bed is folded away by 8.30am to allow cleaning and keep your
personal belongings to a minimum. We can provide meals for one parent
throughout their stay. Unfortunately, siblings are not allowed to stay
overnight on the wards.
Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Rhys Daniels Trust provide
accommodation for families, but we cannot guarantee this and there
is often a waiting list. Please ask a member of our team to contact the
family support worker to check if accommodation is available for you
during your child’s stay with us.
I like to bring my
favourite book or my
phone
Tumelo, 13
4
Visiting
Parents are welcome to come
in to see their child at any time.
Other visitors are asked to come
between 2pm and 8pm. Only two
visitors are allowed at each bed. If
you want to bring children to visit,
please ask the nurse in charge,
and they must be supervised by an
adult at all times.
Please think of others when using
mobile phones or electronic devices
in clinical areas. Between 10pm
and 8am, you must use them in
the Parents’ Room (if it is available
on the ward) or in the corridor
outside the ward. We encourage
the use of headphones or
earphones to reduce noise levels.
Please note: there will be times
when we have to change our
visiting policy for the safety of
patients, visitors and staff. Staff on
the wards will let you know if this
is the case, and we thank you for
your co-operation.
Ward rounds
There are ward rounds every day at different times for each
children’s ward. As we are a large teaching hospital, students
and other observers will often take part in ward rounds. This
means there may be a large group of people present talking
about your child’s care. The consultant will explain things to you
such as your child’s treatment and progress during the ward
round. The nursing team can arrange for you to have longer
and more detailed discussions with the consultant and/or clinical
nurse specialist (CNS), if needed.
One thing that is
important for me to bring
into hospital is my
chessboard and pieces.
Ben, 17
5
Food and drink
We will give you a menu for your child each day. We also have a menu
that caters for patients that have food allergies. Please request this if
required. One of our team will come round in the morning to take orders
for their lunch and dinner. We have protected mealtimes for all our
patients from midday to 1pm for lunch and 5pm to 6pm for dinner. This
means that wherever possible we will not disturb your child during this
time.
The Hambleden Wing has several shops, cafes and vending machines
where you and your relatives can buy snacks, drinks and meals. There are
also lots of shops and food outlets close to the hospital.
Infection control
We can all play an important
part in reducing the spread of
infections. Please help us by
making sure you:
• wash your hands when entering
and leaving the ward areas–after
washing, please rub the alcohol
gel provided into your hands
• fold your bed away by 8.30am so
we can clean the area
• keep work surfaces clean and
clear
• wash your own cutlery and
crockery
• put everything away in the
correct place
• label personal items in the fridge
or freezer, ensure they are within
their use-by date and are not
stored in plastic carrier bags–we
will dispose of out-of-date items
• put soiled nappies in the sluice in
the orange plastic bags provided
• do not bring flowers onto the
ward and tell your relatives that
they are not allowed
• leave communal areas such as
bathrooms, toilets, kitchens and
play areas as you and your child
would expect to find them
• ask your relatives and visitors to
wash their hands when visiting
you and your child.
Comforting items create
a soothing haven in the
hospital.
Gunasri Gayatrri Narula, 13
6
Our facilities
Children’s play area
Every ward has a children’s
play area run by our specialist
Play Team from Monday to
Friday, 9am to 5pm. You must
supervise your child if they use
the play area outside of these
hours. Please help us by tidying
up once you have finished.
If you would like to make a
donation to our play areas (toys,
books and anything that you
would like to share or donate),
please contact our Play and
Youth Team leader on
020 3299 5958.
Safety
You can only enter and exit the
ward by using a swipe card and
this entrance is monitored by
CCTV. Tell the nurse in charge
if you notice that anything is
out of order or needs attention.
Please take care of your personal
belongings
because we cannot be held
responsible for them. To
protect everyone’s privacy and
confidentiality, you are not allowed
to take photos or make video
recordings on Trust premises
without prior permission.
Acceptable behaviour standards
We expect our patients, their
carers and visitors to treat our staff
and everyone in the hospital with
respect. Everyone is entitled to
stay in an environment where they
feel safe and free from aggression.
There are processes in place to
address concerns raised regarding
behaviour.
Kind, Respectful, Team are our core
values as staff. Please share any
concerns you may have so that we
can address any issues experienced
during your hospital stay.
Hospital School
This is on the same floor as the
wards. It opens during term time
from 9.30am to midday and from
1.30pm to 3.30pm. All school
age children are seen either in the
classroom at prearranged times
if they are well enough, or at
bedside.
TVs and electronic devices
Most wards have TVs and
DVD players. We cannot take
responsibility for electronic devices
(for example, phones, tablets and
games consoles). After 8pm, all
electronic devices must be used
with headphones or earphones
to cause minimum disruption to
other patients in the area. Games
consoles are available. Please ask
the play specialist or ward staff for
these.
7
Patient Entertainment
System
The system is available to all
patients, visitors and staff
and provides access to live
TV, magazines, games, and
more, via any internet enabled
device.
It is accessed via the Trust’s
free NHS Wi-Fi only. Inpatients
without a device can borrow
tablets on our wards. Please
ask ward staff for these.
Noise at night
We care for children 24 hours
a day, so our wards can be
very busy – and noisy – even
at night. We try to keep noise
to a minimum, but your sleep
may be disturbed by emergency
admissions, crying babies and
equipment alarms. If you find
the level of noise a problem,
please speak to a member of the
nursing team, who can supply
you with ear plugs to help you
get a good night’s sleep.
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Going home
Medication: before your
child is discharged, one of our
medical team will prescribe any
medications they need, and
these will be explained to you. If
you child’s stay is short and their
medication is ordered on the
morning of discharge, there may
be a delay in receiving them. The
nurse should keep you updated
with the progress.
GP letter: we will give you a letter
for your GP which explains your
child’s treatment. If you have any
questions or concerns, please do
not hesitate to talk to the members
of our team caring for your child.
More information: Please speak
to your child’s nurse if you would
like more information to help them
recover well when they get home.
There may also be a specialist
nurse available who can come to
the ward to talk to you. If you have
any questions about the care your
child received in hospital, contact
the ward on the number on page
12 of this booklet.
Follow-up appointments:
We will arrange a follow-up
appointment for your child if
they need one. You should get
an appointment letter in the post
within 14 days. If you do not,
please contact the Paediatric
Outpatient Department using
the number on page 13 of this
booklet. You may also get a text
message to remind you about the
appointment.
Parking
There is no general public car parking at King’s
College Hospital. We advise you to use public
transport and/or taxi wherever possible.
9
Transport
Please arrange your own transport. We do not provide transport home
from hospital or to hospital for appointments unless your child has a
specific clinical need. Ask the ward receptionist for further information
about hospital transport or search ‘Patient transport’ on
www.kch.nhs.uk
Our wards
Your child will stay on one of our four inpatient wards
Princess Elizabeth Ward and
Lion Ward
These are busy wards caring
for children who need general,
orthopaedic, dental, maxillofacial,
neurological, neurosurgical and
spinal surgery.
Rays of Sunshine Ward
This is part of the Paediatric Liver
Centre at King’s, the largest liver
unit in the UK. It also cares for
children with gastrointestinal
conditions.
Toni & Guy Ward
This cares for children with a
wide range of medical conditions,
from respiratory conditions such
as asthma and bronchiolitis to
diabetes and sickle cell disease. It
also treats children with cancer, in
partnership with Great Ormond
Street and Royal Marsden
hospitals.
Paediatric Short Stay Unit
This is a small ward for children
who need to stay in hospital for
less than 48 hours.
Paediatric Ambulatory Services
(outpatient care)
As well as our inpatient wards,
we also have the Philip Isaacs Day
Treatment Ward, a mixed children’s
day treatment ward, and a busy
Paediatrics Outpatient Department.
There may be occasions when
the medical and nursing team
need to transfer your child to
a different bed or ward. This
may be unsettling but there are
circumstances when a transfer is
necessary, such as preparing for
discharge or due to the needs of
your child or another child.
10
Matron
There is a matron for all the
inpatient wards who you will see
during your child’s stay. They work
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
If you want to see the matron
outside of these hours, please ask
a member of staff who will contact
the matron on your behalf. If you
are unhappy with any aspect of
your child’s stay, please speak to
the nurse in charge or the ward
manager.
Therapists
During your child’s hospital stay
they may need a special diet or
help to get up and about or to
use specialist equipment. So,
they may be seen by a variety of
healthcare professionals such as
dieticians, physiotherapists, speech
and language therapists and,
occupational therapists.
Learning disability and/or
autism
There is a specialist nurse for
children who have a learning
disability and/or autism. If needed,
the team can support you through
your hospital journey to ensure the
necessary reasonable adjustments
are in place. A hospital passport
will be provided to be filled in by
you for your child’s specific needs.
Simple adjustments to care can
make a big difference in health
outcomes. Please ask us if you
want a referral to this service.
Wellbeing
The multi-disciplinary team is
there to support the wellbeing
of children and families during
their stay in hospital. Sometimes
stays in hospital can become
particularly distressing or stressful.
Each ward has access to specialist
psychologists who can meet with
children and families. Please speak
to your nurse or consultant about
a referral.
11
Chaplaincy
If you feel that you would like to
talk to someone in confidence,
King’s chaplaincy team is here for
you. They can offer you and your
child support, whatever your faith
or belief, religious or non-religious.
You can contact the chaplaincy
team by calling extension 33522
from within the hospital or
020 3299 3522 from outside.
Ward contact numbers
Toni and Guy Ward 020 3299 3102
Lion Ward 020 3299 3145
Princess Elizabeth Ward 020 3299 3312
Rays of Sunshine Ward 020 3299 3577
Paediatric Short Stay Unit 020 3299 5503
Paediatric Outpatient Department 020 3299 3560
King’s College Hospital Charity
Charitable donations make a huge difference to the work of our
hospital. All funds are managed by King’s College Hospital Charity
(Registered Charity No: 1165593). It makes a difference by funding
projects in the hospital that improve every aspect of health, including
helping to prevent children from becoming ill and those that improve
diagnosis, treatment and care across a range of conditions. If you would
like to make a donation go to https://supportkings.org.uk/ stating the
ward you wish to donate to.
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After your discharge
Outpatient appointments: 020 3299 3560
General imaging (including x-rays, fluoroscopy, and ultrasound,
MRI and CT scans): 020 3299 3111
Phlebotomy (blood test) 020 3299 3560
Discharge queries: Please call the relevant ward
For any medical questions (for example, wound care or
medication information): Please call the relevant ward
Other important contact numbers
Please use this space to write any other important contact details.
13
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My name is:
My admission dates:
My consultant’s name is:
My questions
Please let us know how we did
We want to do everything we can to ensure your child’s
stay in hospital is as pleasant as possible, so please fill
in our How Are You Doing? Survey (via the QR code) to
help us to improve our services.
PALS
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a service that
offers support, information and assistance to patients, relatives
and visitors. They can also provide help and advice if you have
a concern or complaint that staff have not been able to resolve
for you. They can also pass on praise or thanks to our teams.
The PALS office is located on the ground floor of the Hambleden
Wing, near the main entrance on Bessemer Road - staff will be
happy to direct you.
PALS at King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS
Tel: 020 3299 3601
Email: kch-tr[email protected]
If you would like the information in this leaflet in
a different language or format, please contact our
Communications and Interpreting telephone line on
020 3299 4826 or email kch-tr[email protected]
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PL500.2 June 2023 Networked Care
Review date June 2026 Corporate Comms: 0104
