How the ward works

Daily routine

Your child will have a named nurse each shift and they will provide the care your child needs. 

Each morning a ward round will take place to see all patients, review their progress and make plans. 

This is your main chance to ask the team any questions but if you need someone to come back to explain in more detail later, please just ask! 

Discharge

If your child is nearly ready for home, the doctors will write a discharge note that includes a prescription for medication to take at home.  This is called a TTO. 

You will be given a copy of the TTO and your child's nurse should go through all the medication with you. 

You should also be told about any follow-up appointment needed and whether that will be in Nottingham or at your local hospital. 

Martha's Rule

Martha’s rule is a national patient safety initiative developed by NHS England to ensure that concerns about a child’s worsening condition, raised by patients, families, carers or staff, are always listened to and acted upon.

When you are admitted to ward E17 you will be given information about Martha’s Rule and signposted how to activate and request a medical review when you believe your child’s health is deteriorating and you are not being heard.

You will get a daily wellness check by a member of staff, for example, “How do you think your child is doing – better, worse, or the same compared to yesterday?” These responses are monitored to ensure that parent/carer/patient reported signs are valued.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s care or treatment plan, ensure to escalate this to the nurse looking after your child or the nurse in charge of the ward as we will try to ensure that issues are resolved at a ward level first where possible.