Parents sleeping on new ward for children's surgery will help reduce stress
A brand new children’s surgical ward means that parents can stay overnight with their children, both ahead of and after their operations.
This makes it one of just a handful of paediatric surgical wards in England where this is possible.
Families have improved hospital facilities and can now sleep over, helping reduce stress and anxiety. Previously they would have needed to travel elsewhere in the country to do this.
The £375,000 Pegasus Ward - which can welcome 11 young patients - took flight with its first ever patients at Broomfield Hospital this week.
Former offices and storerooms have been transformed into two bays of four beds, and three private side rooms that allow parents to stay overnight with their children before their planned operations and after, during recovery.
The overnight parent option is of huge benefit to those using the new facilities, which also includes children having plastic surgery for conditions such as cleft lip and palate.
The cleft service is shared with Great Ormond Street Hospital and is one of only nine cleft centres in the UK. Operations inside the mouth can be uncomfortable and children are in hospital for two or three nights to recover from their surgery.
Melanie Chambers, deputy director of nursing, said: “Parents being able to stay with their children will make a huge difference to our families.
“The children will be looked after by our specialist surgical team and by creating these surgical beds in Pegasus, we free up beds on Phoenix Ward where we’re looking after children who need medical care.
“This means we’re able to see more children, quicker, and therefore help reduce waiting lists.”
The new ward also received a generous donation of £20,000 from Friends at Broomfield and an additional £5,000 from Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity. This went towards medical equipment, soft furnishings, as well as patient and staff comforts.