Children and Young People Admission to Kidderminster Treatment Centre for Day Surgery

Children and Young People Admission to Kidderminster Treatment Centre for Day Surgery

Name:

Date of Admission

Time of admission:

Approximate length of stay: 4-8 hours

Name of responsible Surgeon:

Place of admission:

Kidderminster Treatment Centre, Ground level reception, DY11 6RJ

Admissions Unit which is on Level 2. There is access via stairs or lift.

Your Surgeon has arranged for your child to be admitted to Kidderminster Hospital for surgery.

Before you come to hospital

Prior to the admission your child will have had a pre-operative assessment, this is normally completed by telephone. You should have also been sent procedure specific leaflets. If you have not received these leaflets, please speak to a member of the nursing team on the day of admission as they will have important post –operative instructions. We advise that you have a supply of Paracetamol (Calpol) and Ibuprofen (Nurofen) at home for pain relief after your Childs surgery

If your child has specific behavioural needs, anxieties about the surgery or any other additional needs, please identify this at pre op assessment. A hospital play specialist can be contacted prior to your admission and can provide support if required. There are no side rooms at KTC but there is a ‘quiet space’. Please speak with the nursing team on the day if you feel that this would be beneficial for you. The day case KTC surgery unit can be very busy at times. If you feel that this is not an environment your child will be able to tolerate please discuss this at your pre-operative assessment.

If your child is unwell on the day of surgery, please contact the Surgical team who have booked your surgery on 01905 763333 – ask for the consultant/surgeon that is on your booking letter. Please do not attend the hospital if you/your child has any sickness, diarrhoea, contact with infectious diseases such as Chicken pox, Measles etc.

Preparing for admission

For younger children, there is a video on YouTube called ‘Mickeys Journey’

This will show you and your child what happens when you have an operation at Kidderminster. For older Children and Young People, the Royal College of Anaesthetics have produced aged appropriate leaflets to explain your child’s theatre journey. QR codes and links are available at the end of this leaflet

We know that some Children and Young people will feel anxious about coming to hospital, and this is completely normal. The Nursing, Anaesthetic and Surgical team will be able to support you and your child through the day. We find that Children who are aware of how the day will go are far less anxious during their stay. The amount and depth of information that you give your child is entirely up to you.

At the end of the leaflet is a link to managing anxiety in Children and young people, and a general link for a charity called Young minds that provide information for Children and Young People who are struggling with their mental health. There is also a link to the NHS website.

Please visit our hospital website for more information about Kidderminster Hospital and what to expect when you come to hospital.

Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre – Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (worcsacute.nhs.uk)

What to Expect on the day of your surgery

The Children’s Day surgery area can be very busy. We can have up to 5 Surgical lists running at the same time. So you may see other children and young people being seen before you, even though you may have arrived first.

You may be taken to a different area to be admitted so that we can ensure that your child is seen and assessed in a timely manner and there are no delays to the planned surgery.

There are many elements that decide the order of the theatre lists. This can be the length of the operation and the expected recovery time as well as taking into account any additional needs of the children and young people being seen that day. Generally, the anaesthetist along with the nursing staff will decide on the order of the list on the day.

On the day of surgery

Your child needs to follow fasting instructions given at Pre-operative assessment. Encourage your child to keep drinking until the time indicated below. This is important to avoid dehydration. Fasting times for Morning and afternoon surgery

You will be instructed if your child is able to continue drinking when you arrive.

If you do not follow these instructions your/your child’s surgery may be delayed or cancelled

Please take any regular medication as normal in the morning unless you have been specifically told not to.

Please bring with you:

• Favourite Toy/Comforter/book or Tablet etc. to keep you occupied whilst waiting to go to theatre.

If you are bringing a tablet/gaming device, please bring headphones with you if you have them.

• Please wear comfortable clothes. You may bring with you a dressing gown/Oodie/warm loose jumper if you have one. We will provide you with a surgical gown for your operation.

• Any regular medication – you will be able to continue with this after you have had your operation.

• Although your planned operation is to be a day case, please bring with you an overnight bag. This can be left in the car.

Who can accompany you?

The Kidderminster day surgery list is very busy. Wherever possible we ask that only one parent accompanies the child into the admission area, but both parents may attend the hospital. There is a café and waiting area in the main foyer of the hospital if you would like the opportunity to get a drink. We ask that no siblings are brought, unless exceptional circumstances and this has been agreed by the nursing team prior to admission.  

Other investigation you may need before your surgery:

MRSA Swabs

For all Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery, you will need MRSA Swabs. These will be taken 72 hours before your surgery. The Pre-operative assessment nurse will arrange a time and date for you to attend Children’s clinic to have this performed. You will be contacted if this result is positive and given further instructions if required.

Weights

For patients having tonsillectomies we may ask you attend Children’s clinic to have your weight accurately measured. This is so we can arrange for specific pain relief to be made available to you post operatively.

For any patient that is potentially below a certain weight we may ask you to attend for an accurate weight to be able to make the decision if we can continue with your operation at Kidderminster.

Pregnancy testing

Children who are female at birth, and 12 years and over are asked to perform a pregnancy test on the day of surgery. This is a routine test. Your nurse for the day will discuss this with you.

Information Leaflets links to resources

General Anaesthesia: A brief guide for Children and Young People from 12 yrs old

Rees Bear has an Anaesthetic

Link to Widgit Health – document to show day case process in pictures

Mickeys Journey. YouTube Link

Parents Mental Health Support – Anxiety

Young Minds Website for Young People

NHS Anxiety In Children

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience

We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback

Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.  

QR code to Family and Friends feedback form. We would love to hear your experiences in Children’s Clinic.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:

Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: wah-tr.PALS@nhs.net

Opening times:

The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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