Information for parents
Your child has been transferred to the Doctors at the Royal Preston Hospital to give their
opinion on how best to manage the injury your child has received. This treatment may
be carried out under general anaesthetic (where your child will be asleep) or local
anaesthetic (where the injured area will be made numb) or, after assessment, the Doctor
may decide that a dressing is the most appropriate treatment. In some cases no
further treatment is needed.
Eating and drinking
If you are coming immediately to the Royal Preston Hospital your child should have
nothing further to eat or drink. If you have been asked to come to the Royal Preston
Hospital the following morning your child can eat and drink normally up to 3am and then
should only have clear fluid until 6.30am (for example, diluted cordial or water). This is to
ensure that surgery can be completed as soon as possible, providing this is the
decision which is made.
Consent
A person with parental responsibility must accompany your child to the hospital to give
consent if the Doctors decide they need to operate. People with parental responsibility
are usually mother, father (under certain conditions), legally appointed guardians, local
authorities. Step-parents, grandparents, teachers, etc., do not automatically have
parental responsibility.
Please check with staff if you are unsure as to who can consent to your child’s treatment.
On admission
You will be asked to attend the Children’s Ward (Ward 8) at the Royal Preston
Hospital. Please bring with you any medicine that your child is taking.
When you and your child arrive at the Ward one of the nurses will contact the Doctor on
call for the Specialist Team to inform them you have arrived. You may have to wait to
be seen depending on the other patients the Doctor has to see and how poorly they may
be. The Doctor will assess your child and decide on the best way to treat the injury. In
some instances they may ask their Senior to review your child. This will be done as soon
as possible, however there may be a delay if the senior doctor is operating in theatre.
If it is decided that your child needs surgery then their name will be added to the
emergency theatre list. Patients on this list will have their surgery depending on how
serious their condition is. Some other patients may need immediate surgery and
they will take priority. Sudden changes may happen if patients are brought in through the
Accident and Emergency department or a patient’s condition deteriorates.
At times it may be necessary to cancel your child’s planned surgery for that day because
too many other patients are taking priority. If this happens you may be given the option to
go home and return in the morning. On very rare occasions this can happen
again the following day. Your Named Nurse will keep you informed and updated with the
latest information.
If you need further advice or have a problem please speak to the Named Nurse
or the Nurse in Charge.
Ward 8: 01772 522248/523496
Directions to Royal Preston Hospital Turn left out of the Victoria Hospital A&E
Department car park, then follow 1 way to left onto Whinpark Avenue. Keep in the left
lane and at the traffic lights, turn left onto A587 East Park Drive. Follow A587 through
3 sets of traffic lights. At the 4th set of traffic lights turn left onto A583 (Preston New
Road), signposted to the M55. Stay on A583 until the M55, keep in the left lane
and take the M55 towards Preston. Leave the M55 at junction 1 and leave the
roundabout at the 3rd exit signposted to Preston on the A6 Garstang Road. You will
now pick up signs for the hospital. After 1 mile turn left onto Sharoe Green Lane and
after 0.44 of a mile you have reached your destination.
Royal Preston Hospital, Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9HT
Tel: 01772 716565
