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 Welcome to Paediatrics. You can use these pages to find out more about the services that we provide to the children of Plymouth.

We are located up on level 12 of the hospital, and have many different areas and services available across the floor.

This information can be accessed by parents and carers, children and teenagers and may help you feel better prepared for your appointment or stay with us.

 

Wildgoose ward

Our experienced and friendly team of specialist children’s doctors, nurses, therapists, healthcare assistants and other staff provide safe and effective care for all of our young patients and families on Wildgoose ward.

Wildgoose ward has 15 beds, this consists of 2 bays; one for males and one for females and 5 cubicles.

The ward manager for Wildgoose is Helen Little and the Junior Sister is Laura Crawford.

We care for children age 11-16 years with a wide variety of medical, surgical, mental health and oncology conditions.

There is a fantastic games room situated on the ward, where you will find a pool table, football table, Playstation, Xbox, DVD player and lots of other fun activities to help with your recovery during your hospital stay.

There is a school room based on Wildgoose ward where you will find a teacher to help with school based activities if you happen to be in hospital for a long period.

 

Woodcock Ward

Woodcock Ward is a 14 bedded acute ward caring for babies and young children between the ages of 10 days up until a child's 11th birthday. We provide nursing care for all types of medical illnesses and conditions in this age group as well as other specialities such as Plastic Surgery, Maxillo Facial, General Surgery and Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT).

We allow one parent/carer to stay with each child, who is supported in their child's care needs by a member of the nursing team who are assisted by a Health Care Assistant. Please check the most current visiting policy with ward staff at the time of your child's admission as this can be subject to change due to external factors. You are entitled to free parking in any of our barriered car parks while your child is an inpatient. Your nurse or a member of the ward team can tell you more about this upon request during your admission.

We have a well-equipped activity centre based on the ward where you are welcome to take your child to play or relax if they are not being isolated in a side room. If your child is being isolated in a side room, one of the play specialists or a member of the ward team will be more than happy to provide your child with age-appropriate toys or sensory stimulation. Play specialists are also on hand for support to yourselves and your child during their admission and also support the nursing team with distraction techniques during frightening or difficult procedures.

We aim to provide the best possible care during your child's admission, however if you feel there is something that we could do better to improve our service, please feel free to provide us with feedback using the 'friends and family' questionnaire that you will be given prior to your child's discharge from the ward. Alternatively, you can request a discussion with the ward manager during you stay

 

The Children's High Dependency Unit (CHDU)

The children's high dependency unit (CHDU) is a four bedded unit plus a HDU cubicle. We care for children of all ages who are critically ill and require close observation and a higher level of care.  

The unit is staffed by two high dependency trained nurses, with a ratio of one nurse to two patients. We also support third year student nurses on placement here. 

We work closely with the paediatric medical team to provide excellent care to the patients needing the highest level of support. 

Alongside the Children's Assessment Unit, we recently won a PAFTA award for 'The Team of the Year'. 

On admission to our unit, we need to assess the immediate needs of your child, stabilise their condition and make them comfortable. The team involved with caring for your child will explain the treatment plan, the equipment being used and the alarms you can hear to alleviate any anxieties. We are aware it can be a very challenging and emotional time when your child is with us, however our friendly and experienced nursing team will work hard to make you as comfortable as possible.  

One parent or carer is welcome to stay at the bedside during your admission, we also have the use of three family rooms close to the unit. 

As your child's condition improves, they may be transferred to one of our paediatric wards, one step closer to home. 

If your child requires high dependency care here, you can be sure of a warm welcome and the upmost in patient care. 

 

The Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU)

The Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU) accepts referrals of patients from the age of 10 days until their 16^th birthday. We receive referrals from GP’s, Emergency Department, community teams and both our short- and long-term open access patients.  

CAU cares for patients who have been referred to a variety of specialities including General Paediatrics, General Surgery, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), Plastic Surgery, Maxillo Facial and Orthopaedics.  

Our unit consists of 12 beds including 4 isolation cubicles and an isolation bay, depending on your child’s presenting illness we may be required to isolate you whilst your assessed on CAU.  

On arrival to CAU your child will be assessed by one of our experienced and friendly paediatric nurses. They will assess your child’s condition, obtain observations and initiate any investigations/ treatment whilst you wait to be seen by one of our doctors. This assessment is called triage, and means that some children will get seen quicker than others dependant on their medical needs. Once seen by our medical team a treatment plan will be made; this may mean your child is observed on CAU for a period of time, admitted to the wards or is well enough to be discharged home.  

Currently due to the COVID pandemic all patients admitted to CAU require a COVID test. On arrival to the unit, our friendly team will assess both child and accompanying adult’s COVID status, assisting us in isolating as required on the unit. 

We allow one parent/carer to accompany and stay with your child, at this present time siblings are unable to attend the unit. We understand that there may possibly be long waiting times on CAU and can provide free parking to help alleviate this worry. Food is provided at mealtimes for children. Please speak to one of our helpful ward clerks or a member of the nursing staff for information. 

All patients who are discharged from CAU are provided with 72hrs open access to the unit, this ensures that if you have any worries or concerns you can contact us and discuss with either the nursing or medical staff. If we feel your child needs to be seen again, we can ask you to return to CAU for your child to be reviewed.