I am the family friend of a young patient undergoing regular in-patient chemotherapy.
Some of my general observations about BCH Ward 15:
Staff generally helpful but at times arrangements seem quite disorganised.
Noise on the ward is a real issue both at night and during the day, making rest very difficult both for patient and the admitted parent. This is as much down to staff noise as noise from other patients.
Parents need to be able to function as parents at the point of discharge, and parental exhaustion is a real issue. Understandably care focussed on the patient, but support to facilitate better eating and sleeping for the admitted parent would surely result in better outcomes for the child once back home (particularly for lone parents with other siblings to care for).
Parent’s facilities apparently undergoing improvements but currently these are woefully inadequate.
Often confusion about bed availability and delays in getting treatment started whilst beds become available. Could be resolved by better scheduling – only calling people in once beds are available.
The worst aspect, however, really is noise on the ward, and this is surely about ward culture and what is deemed acceptable by senior staff.
"Paediatric cancer care"
About: Birmingham Children's Hospital / Clinical oncology Birmingham Children's Hospital Clinical oncology B4 6NH
Posted by EternalOptimist (as ),
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