I really can't stand the day surgery ward either at our local hospital or the big children's hospital.
For the third time in just over a year i am going back to the children's hospital day surgery ward with ds4 who is 12. It's set up so that you don't always get a bed space until you come back from theatre so some people are sat in the small ward play room. There is a lovely central play room for all the wards to share with an outdoor space but you aren't allowed off the ward if you are in the day surgery ward. There is nowhere for parents to get a drink on the ward and you aren't allowed to leave your child so you have to take the small window of opportunity while your child is in theatre to get something. Last time we were on the ward from 7:30-5:30 which is a long time.
Ds is always bored within about 15 minutes of being there and i really struggle to keep him occupied in such a small space. He has learning disabilities but is quite bright in some ways. I know some people have it a lot worse and spend weeks in hospital but ds has been in and out all his life, just for short periods of time. The general surgical ward has a bit more space and a parents kitchen and the adolescent ward has things like table football, air hockey and games consoles. I've asked if he can go on one of those wards and always been told no. He's got a hospital passport, we've tried 2 different types of pre med. I always bring top trumps, books, tablet etc but he is still bored within 15 minutes and wants to run around. We are usually on the ward for 2-3 hours before going down to theatre, then as soon as he wakes up he is bored again. It's another 2-3 hours before we can go home. Everyone tells me it will be easier as he gets older but he is 12 and it's still a nightmare.