"A generally positive experience"

My partner and I would like to share our experience on a short stay in ward 6.

Although the children’s ward isn’t somewhere any parent wants to find their child needing, sometimes it’s necessary and the care your child receives during that time really matters.

We had a generally positive experience on Ward 6  and want to acknowledge the genuine care and dedication shown by the staff. It’s clear that the majority of the team are committed to the wellbeing of the children in their care. The  deputy sisters were especially supportive and attentive, and healthcare assistant Debbie really stood out for her warmth, professionalism, and attentiveness — she made a genuine difference to our stay.

We also want to acknowledge the consultants, SHOs, and junior doctors, who were all consistently compassionate, professional, and thorough in their approach. Together, they helped create a calm and reassuring environment, which made a difficult time that bit easier for our family and, most importantly, for our daughter. 

That said, there are a few areas where we feel improvement would be beneficial.

Communication during handovers was sometimes inconsistent, which led to confusion, a lack of continuity, and meant we often had to repeat the same information several times — even within the same shift.

We also noticed instances where parents  were spoken about at computer stations or throughout the ward in ways that didn’t feel respectful, professional, or even appropriate, this happened on far too many occasions in such a short period of time, even with the doors closed you can hear very clearly even if it's unintentional.

There were also times when the medical team seemed to rely on information passed on by nurses who had  limited involvement in our child's care during that shift. This led to assumptions being made and a picture that didn’t fully reflect what had actually taken place.

Above all, we’d like to emphasise the importance of listening to parents and maintaining strong communication. As parents, we’re closely involved in our child’s care day in and day out. We notice the subtle changes, the small improvements, and the early signs when something isn’t quite right. When parents are listened to and included as part of the team, it strengthens the quality of care and builds vital trust.

One suggestion that might help in future would be to include a short parent summary or if suitable (depending on age) a patient summary during handover, or even just a brief opportunity for parents/patients to share key concerns or updates.

For example, a blank line or two or a coding system for how parents/patients feel things are going - ie 1 to 10 or a traffic light symbol etc. 

We understand that clinical notes and observations are the foundation of care, but lived parental insight can often highlight things that aren’t always obvious on paper, and are important for understanding a child’s needs in real time. A space for parental or patient input could support continuity and reduce the risk of misunderstanding, especially during busy shift changes. 

We hope this feedback helps to further improve an already strong and committed service. We remain very grateful to the staff who care for and support children and their families during such vulnerable times. Thanks!