Castle Hill’s Daisy Building is now home to specially tailored facilities for children and young people.
Routine operations for children across East Yorkshire are being conducted in dedicated new facilities, designed with the needs of children and families in mind.
In the space of just a few weeks, the ground floor of the Daisy Building at Castle Hill Hospital has been revamped and repurposed to operate as a standalone paediatric day surgery unit.
Previously, operations such as tooth extractions, tonsillectomies and circumcisions which would ordinarily see children in and out on the same day would be carried out at Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI). This was less than ideal however, as the hospital’s day surgery theatres were also used for adult patients and there was no dedicated children’s recovery space, meaning valuable beds were often used for this purpose on paediatric inpatient wards.
Now, in line with NHS best practice and to complement the £40m adult day surgery unit on site, quality care for children requiring routine operations in specialties such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and maxillofacial surgery* is available in a separate, custom-designed space.
Dr Caroline Hibbert, Medical Director (North) has overseen the relocation of the service from Hull Royal Infirmary to Castle Hill. She says:
“Since the former Duchess of Kent Day Surgery Unit at Hull Royal Infirmary changed to become an Urgent Treatment Centre, we have been working to identify a suitable alternative, permanent space to house paediatric day surgery.
“Staff have been instrumental in developing plans for the new unit and ensuring it has everything to meet both their professional needs and the needs of our young patients and families. A number of simulation exercises took place before the doors opened which allowed us to test the environment and practical elements of delivering care in the new unit, and now that we’re up and running, the teams there are expecting to carry out around 700 procedures in the first year alone.
“In fewer than three weeks of conducting the last operation at HRI, the team was able to reopen at Castle Hill in a standalone unit, suitably decorated and technically equipped, which not only provides a much better experience for children and families, but also now gives staff a work environment to be proud of, and somewhere to call home.”
Starting at the front door, the design of the unit features bold and colourful shapes which have been copied across from HRI to provide some familiarity for children who regularly use hospital services.
Inside, there is an area within the waiting room aimed at younger children which features smaller furniture and wildlife characters on the walls.
There are two operating theatres which can run concurrently, and recovery space for up to 16 children. Inside each theatre, teams make use of ‘kwickscreens’, highly decorated screens designed to minimise stress by preventing children from seeing medical equipment and surgical instruments while they are being anaesthetised.
Consideration has been given to the requirements of children with additional needs, and some parts of the unit feature adjustable lighting levels and comfortable furniture which can help to reduce anxiety among children both before and after surgery.
And the feedback from parents and families so far suggests the team has got things spot on. One hundred per cent of patients in the first month of opening rated the Paediatric Day Surgery Unit ‘5 Star’, with one parent saying:
“There was a very calm atmosphere. All staff were really helpful throughout the afternoon. I cannot thank the surgeon, Mr Haeney, Mark the anaesthetist and Jenny the recovery nurse enough for their patience, calm and reassuring approach throughout the full process, particularly in surgery. The full team in theatre was caring and attentive; I could not have asked for more.”
Another parent was particularly complimentary of the care shown to all members of the family, saying:
“Staff were all very nice and welcoming. They were great with the children, so helpful, they talked through everything and answered all the questions I had. They looked after my daughter so well.”
Oral Surgeon, Mr Pete Brotherton, undertook the first theatre list in the new unit on opening day. He says:
“It was good to operate in the Daisy Building theatres after months of planning. A lot of effort has gone into to the relocation and delivery of secure paediatric day surgery services at Castle Hill Hospital.
“On the day, there were a few little snags that were perhaps to be expected, but everyone worked hard to resolve these and all our children were treated successfully.
“The day surgery staff seem happy in their new home, the work area allows for patients to be moved through safely and efficiently, and all of my subsequent surgical lists have gone really well.
“I’d like to offer my thanks to the staff, patients and families attending that first day for their support, and to Dr Fish who operated alongside me.”
Children and families are now able to take a virtual tour of the unit before they arrive via the Little Journey app, which uses photos and information to help familiarise people with their surroundings before attending for their procedure. Little Journey can be downloaded free from the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store.
