Children’s Hospital Services in
Gloucestershire
Introduction
Children's Services in Gloucestershire which are provided by
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, are changing.
From March 2006 these services will be different, and this leaflet has
been produced to tell you what and where the services are.
Many will remain unchanged, for example, emergency services
for children will still be provided at both Cheltenham General and
Gloucestershire Royal hospitals.
There is, however, one main change:
z
All children who need medical intervention overnight will be
admitted to the Children’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal
Hospital.
More detailed information is available to patients before they come
into hospital or at the time of admission to hospital (if you are an
emergency patient).
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Hospital Services for Children in Gloucestershire
Sick children who need hospital care, outpatient appointments,
treatment and day surgery will still be seen at both:
z Battledown Ward, Cheltenham General Hospital and
z
The Children’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
If doctors and nurses make a clinical decision that your child needs to
see a doctor overnight, he or she will stay overnight at Gloucestershire
Royal Hospital.
If your child needs to be transported from one hospital to the other
this will be arranged by the hospital.
What we provide at Cheltenham General Hospital’s Battledown Ward:
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Paediatric Assessment Unit, open seven days a week, 9am – 10pm
z
Children’s Outpatient Services
z
Day Surgery Unit
z
Special Care Baby Unit (St Pauls Wing)
What we provide at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital’s Children’s Centre:
z
Inpatient ward with High Dependency Unit, surgery and oncology
unit, school room, play areas, treatment rooms, relative's area
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Paediatric Assessment Unit, open five days a week, from 9am to
5pm
z
Children’s Outpatient Services
z
Day Surgery Unit
z
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ( in the Orchard Centre)
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Emergency Patients
Children who need to be seen in an emergency will continue to be
seen at both hospitals in the Emergency Departments. In some cases
where a child is brought to hospital by ambulance the Paramedics will
make the decision about which is the best place to take the child.
Children who need to be admitted overnight will be taken to
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Paediatric Assessment Unit
The Paediatric Assessment Unit is where children will go for
assessment, monitoring and/ or treatment from 9am to 10pm, in
Cheltenham seven days per week and from 9am to 5pm five days a
week in Gloucester.
Children can be seen, treated or observed by medical and nursing
staff, often avoiding the need to be admitted overnight. When they
have been discharged, ongoing care will be provided by the Children's
Community Nursing Team as required.
In Cheltenham children can remain in the unit until 10pm and in
Gloucester until 5pm. After this time they will either be able to go
home or transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (GRH) children’s
inpatient ward.
Outpatient Clinics
There will be no change to any of the usual Children’s Outpatient
Clinics at Cheltenham, Gloucester or community hospitals. There will
also be no change if your child is seen regularly for their condition and
the clinics will be run by the existing medical and nursing teams.
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Inpatient Ward, Children’s Centre,
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
The most unwell children are cared for on the inpatient ward at
the Children’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (GRH). The
inpatient ward is for children who may need a doctor at any time, day
or night.
All children who need this level of care from across the county will
come to this secure purpose-built centre.
There are special facilities for very young children, very sick children
who need care in a high dependency unit, and also for teenagers who
require more privacy.
Visiting Times GRH, Children’s Centre: Open visiting for parents. All
other visitors: 2pm - 8pm
Staying Overnight in Gloucester
Ronald McDonald Family Rooms: Parents and carers are welcome
to stay overnight in this purpose built suite which provides
accommodation families who want to stay close to their child.
The rooms are one floor above the Children’s Centre, and anyone
staying in them can reach the ward areas in just a few minutes.
Parents or carers can also stay overnight in their child's room, but
usually only one person stays.
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Keeping in touch:
Parents and carers can ring the wards whenever they want but anyone
else will need to speak to parents or carers to find out how a child is
doing. No-one is allowed to use their mobile phone on the wards but
there are payphones.
Cheltenham General Hospital
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Paediatric Assessment Unit
08454 224462
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Day Surgery Unit
08454 224129
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Outpatients Department
08454 224124
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
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Children’s Inpatient Ward
08454 228308
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Day Surgery Unit
08454 226752
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Paediatric Assessment Unit
08454 228310
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Children’s Outpatients
08454 228211
(Please dial the full number).
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Car Parking
There is a dropping off zone at the hospital near both wards. There
are also car parks available at Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire
Royal hospitals and parking charges apply.
For more Information
For more general information on the hospitals please log on to:
www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk or contact the ward.
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GDH0982
Published January 2006