Great Ormond Street Hospital - anyone had experience?

[mamaoftwo]

Hi My DS2 is waiting for an operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Has anyone any experience of the hospital? Or any any useful tips etc? Eg where you park for visiting or good coffee shops or where to take DS1 for lunch etc etc?? Our experience of the outpatients clinics and inside cafe has not been good and I can't believe how un-child friendly it is there - although I have been reassured that the actual wards and theatres etc are wonderful.

Thanks everyone. There's no rush though, he went on the list yesterday and we were told it could be up to 6 months before the op as it's not life threatening.

[elastamum]

Our son had surgery as a baby at GOSH and the ward staff were wonderful. im not sure if you will be able to park. I used to get a permit from the clinic to attend OP and park on the street but it wasnt easy. We go back for checks from time to time. OP is always a bit of a scrum although the staff and stuff to amuse the children have always been great. The food in the cafe is not good and if we were hanging around all day between X ray and OP we used to get a taxi to covent garden for lunch as I didnt manage to find anywhere good . The one thing I would say was our last OP appointment was cancelled six times and DS only got seen when I rang their chief execs office and complained. Suddenly they found a slot for him! that said we think that GOSH is great.
Good luck with DS2!

[RedZuleika]

I'm more familiar with the pubs round there, to be honest. However - I do recollect that there are some hotel coffee shops on Southampton Row, just south-west of the hospital. There are sandwich shops on Theobalds Road. And a funny little cafe on Sicilian Avenue (opposite Holborn tube) called Onion Onion: haven't been for years, but they used to do really good hot chocolate. There's a good noodle place in the Brunswick Centre, north of the hospital, called something bizarre like 'The Rabbit and the Turtle' or something. Other than this, there is Covent Garden, as elastamum says. Off the top of my head, I can't think of the location of McD's et al, if you're thinking of a more 'fast food' lunch.

Isn't GOSH exclusively a children's hospital?? Which makes it surprising that it has non-child friendly bits...

[RedZuleika]

"Hare and Tortoise".

Close...

[RedZuleika]

Oh - and there's a My Old Dutch pancake place on High Holborn, at the Southampton Row end.

[sparklymieow]

there is Mcdonalds up the road too hehehehe!!
I only have OP experience at GOS. But there is lots of cafes about. DS has been up on the wards as a day patient 4 times and the staff are wonderful

[NannyNooNoo]

Is GOSH really child un-friendly? DGD has to go to X-ray and OP on Monday, I told her that it should be fine to take DGS too as he really wants to go and, 'it's a kids hospital, its bound to be child friendly', I told her.

I'll tell her not to take him, I'll have him for the day. Can't believe that a childrens hospital can be non-child friendly

mamaoftwo, good luck with DS2.

[NannyNooNoo]

Her being my daughter.

must preview!!!!

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[nathollyandmatthew]

hi
we was there 3 weeks ago for a 5 night stay and the hosp is fab
the food is pretty poor in the hosp, but there is a pizza hut, subway, mcdonolds, burger king, tesco and sainsburys all within about a 15 min walk of the hopsital

as far as i know the parking bit, it u can park outside for 1 day for admision and 1 day to for the discharge, only 3 days if ur child is in ITU

they do have car parks but r so expensive so my opionion to u is either get the train down, or get someone else to take u

i stayed with matthew and as i dont drive, my hubby drove us down then went home and collected us on the day we came home

they r a brill hosp and found out in 5 days what was wrong with my son that our hospital couldnt do in 14 months

we r due bk there in december, for another stay, and i feel its the best hopsitla for children

good luck

[slug]

DH worked at GOSH for years, so I'm biased about the staff. The parking it impossible, I'd second taking a train. Russel Square tube is the closest. There are lots of expensive restaurants in Lambs St nearby, but the best bet would be to wander down to Holbourn.

[RedZuleika]

There's an NCP carpark near the Brunswick Centre. Don't know how much that is though.

[mamaoftwo]

Wow thanks everyone for your posts. I am so reassured that other people have found it child friendly. Maybe I have just been unlucky. The second trip was certainly bettter than the first, and I think I may have been a bit stressed out the first time that it was never going to be a good experience! I'll reconsider how I approach it next time! The main bug bears were; no play area for my DS2 (15 months), toilets awkward to negotiate with a buggy, cafe ditto and really poor quality and menu, reception staff unhelpful and long long waiting times in clinic (2 hours first time, one and half second). But, importantly, the surgeon was very nice and caring. (My local hospital has very good children's facilities, but unfortunately the only place for DS2 is at GOSH)...

Thanks for all the useful advice re eating places etc. I notice that Onion place Red on the walk up from Waterloo - funny how some places stick in your mind!