Welcome to Galaxy ward

What is Galaxy ward?

Galaxy ward is an in-patient paediatric ward for children and young people up to the age of 18. The ward has 22 beds and cares for patients who may have been admitted from the emergency department, an out-patient or ambulatory clinic, or through their GP. Patients may also be admitted for planned procedures and operations.

What to expect on Galaxy ward

When your child arrives on the ward, they will be seen by members of the nursing and medical teams who will examine your child and take a full medical history.

A nurse or health care assistant will confirm your details, such as home address and telephone number and record some observations, these may include their weight, temperature, heart, breathing rate and blood pressure. The nurses and doctors will explain what is expected to happen during your child’s stay on the ward. Please feel free to ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

What happens once my child has been admitted?

Your child may need multiple investigations whilst an in-patient either to diagnose their condition or to monitor how they are responding to treatment. Medical staff will always explain these to you and your child and give you any results once they are available.

Infection control measures

All inpatient wards in the hospital are subject to infection control guidelines. These are in place to keep your child safe. Please let us know if your child has had an infectious illness or has been in contact with somebody who has.

To help maintain cleanliness, please also keep your child’s bed space or cubicle tidy.

If your child is being cared for in a side room, please speak to your nurse about any additional requirements, such as always keeping your child in the cubicle if they need to remain isolated. Cubicles within the ward are only for children who are immunocompromised or have an active infection. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer private cubicles.

Who can visit my child on the ward?

At present, one parent or carer can stay with their child overnight and an additional parent or significant adult such as an extended family member, is able to visit during the day between the hours of 10am-8pm.

Unfortunately, we cannot allow children or siblings under the age of 18 years to visit. One bed is provided for the parent or carer that wishes to stay overnight. There is also a parents’ room where you can prepare hot drinks and food throughout your stay.

Further information on patient visiting can be found on our website.

If you have any questions about visiting, speak to a member of the nursing staff.

What happens on a ward round?

Children who stay overnight will be seen by the paediatric consultant during the morning ward round which starts at 9.30am each day. If you have any urgent queries between ward rounds, speak to your child’s nurse.

When are mealtimes on the ward?

During your child’s stay, meals will be served to them between the following times:

• Breakfast: 7.30am to 8.30am.
• Lunch: 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
• Dinner: 5pm to 6pm.

If your child has any specialist dietary requirements, please tell a member of the nursing staff. A range of snacks are also available during the day, please ask a member of staff for these. Food can be brought onto the ward for you or your child, but this must be ordered and collected by yourself.

What else can my child do on the ward?

There is a playroom located within the ward and our play specialists are available between 7.30am-4pm. They can entertain and distract your child during some procedures and provide one-to-one play at the bedside if your child is unable to visit the playroom.

The ward also has a school room with teachers available during normal school hours for those children aged between four and 16 years. For children who cannot attend lessons in the school room, educational activities will be provided at the bedside.

Please ask if you require additional toys or activities for your child. Once they are finished with any toys, let the team know so they can be cleaned and made available for other children on the ward.

What happens when my child is discharged?

When your child is ready to be sent home, you will be given a discharge summary which explains why your child was admitted, what treatment they have received, any medications that they will need to take home and if your child needs to be seen again.

Depending on why your child was admitted, you may also be given an information leaflet on their condition or what to do next.

If you have any concerns after your child is discharged, you can call the ward 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on: 020 8216 5195. In the case of an emergency, you should either attend your nearest emergency department with your child or call 999.

Giving us feedback

We are always looking for ways to improve our service and the care our patients receive. We appreciate your feedback, and a ‘friends and family’ survey is available for you to let us know your thoughts and comments. Results are anonymous and can help shape our future service.

Staff on Galaxy ward

You will meet a range of different staff on the ward, but the senior team are:

• Senior sisters: Claire Walton and Nilophar Mauzer
• Matrons: Amy Taylor and Rossitsa Tacheva