16 year old in hospital, adult mixed ward.

[Teenangels]

My daughter and I are currently sitting on a chair in the waiting area, to be taken up to a ward, she is 16 only just and been diagnosed with an appendicitis, she has been given morphine, so is sleepy and

I have been told that she will be going up to an adult mixed ward to wait for surgery and that I am not allowed to go up with her.

I am actually furious that my 16 year old will be surrounded by adult men, she is a child how is this allowed to happen.

In my eyes she is still a child, she can't get married (without my permission) but can be treated as a child.

AIBU and over reacting or AINBU to feel she is being totally let down.

I would kick up absolutely merry hell about this. At the very least it should be a single sex ward. Or failing that a side ward.

I would be very much “this is not happening, you need to find a solution”- children’s ward, women only, side ward, and ideally an adult with her

With the state of the NHS right now I would honestly just be grateful she had a bed and was getting the treatment she needs, obviously fight to go with her but other than that I cant see much else you can do.

I hope she gets better soon

It's rubbish. Mixed sex wards should not be allowed. Hope you get a good solution.

And its more than likely the ward will be pre op patients and will be moved to a relevent ward after the surgery.

YANBU, I absolutely would not agree to this happening

And refuse your child life saving surgery?

That's outrageous. My DH was in a male surgical ward years ago and they put a 17 yo girl in. The men were all horrified and kicked up on her behalf to get her moved.
I hope your DD recovers well.

Its normal in most hospitals that 16 year olds go to adult wards. I would be asking for a female only ward or room though.

Why can't you go with her? Our hospital allow compassionate visiting for 16-18 year olds, might be worth speaking to pals about visiting.

It's not ideal - but "surrounded by adult men" is such a dramatic phrase, do you actually know who else is on the mixed ward? If she's waiting for surgery for appendicitis they'll be getting her in asap so she shouldn't be there long, it'll be the pre op but that's mixed - after the surgery will it be a single sex ward?

Tell them she needs a chaperone? She's 16 so can consent to her own medical treatment and isn't technically under paediatrics so will be on the adult ward rather than the childrens.

Having a DD who is a ward sister I can well believe that there is no other available bed - however, she is 16. The staff must see it is highly unsuitable for a child to be on an adult mixed ward without a parent and I would escalate your concerns as high as you can - matron, bed manager, PALS whatever. The no other bed isn't something they can do much about, but there can be no good reason you cannot be with her.

I suspect that it will be mixed ward but single sex bays

I would not be happy with this.

If she isn't able to get on a children's ward or a women only ward, then you definitely need to be able to stay with her at all times if need be.

Don't back down.

I wish her a speedy recovery..

Can you ask for her to be admitted under paediatrics? Some children’s wards take up to 18 year olds and some up to 16 but can be “persuaded” to take 16+ especially if the child is still at school.

Say you do not feel she is old enough to be without adult supervision - mention safeguarding concerns if you need to - as she is a child how are they appropriately going to be supervising her. And although she can sign her own consent form (just) good practice would have you signing it as well so I’m surprised they don’t want you to stay. If the person who has said you cannot aware she is a child rather than the concerns about the men being present?

Her being alone on an adult ward would be my bigger concern than the ward being “mixed” as this does not not mean that male and female patients are in the same room/bay - they should have separate female and male areas and facilities but if they are looked after by the same team of nurses are referred to as one ward. However if she is a young 16 still at school an adult ward (male or female) is probably not the best environment.

Channel your inner Tiger Mum and put your foot down. You stay with her at all times, minus the operating room.

There will be single sex bays and toilet facilities.

There are very few women's only wards in the NHS nowadays.

Is it a surgical ward or the admissions unit, ask and there should be female bays in each but with the shortage of beds who knows. A bed is better than sitting in a chair and i am pretty shocked that any patient with an acute appendix given morphine is left sitting in a chair. Speak to the bed manager or pals and say you will be staying with her when she goes to the ward, they cannot stop you.

it would not bother me.
given the choice, obviously would prefer elsewhere.
but there isn't the choice, and getting the surgery done is the priority.
don't imagine problems where there probably won't be any.
hope she recovers soon.

I suspect it'll be a mixed ward with equal 4 or 6 bedded bays with toilets for men and separate bays for women. There should also be single rooms but may not be available. I haven't seen mixed wards like there were in the eighties when we had them in nightingale wards. Still had nightingale wards until relatively recently but single sex.
If its a mixed sex Bay they need to move people about yo find a single room somewhere in the hospital. They'd do it if she had an infection that needed isolated. She is a child so needs to be accommodated and protected.

We don't have a bed yet, we are sitting in A&E in the waiting room, her with a drip in her hand.

I am not grateful, I am furious that they would treat a child like this.

16 is appropriate for an adult ward. It will be a female bay on a mixed ward.

I was in a ward recently and there were single sex bays in the ward so we were not mixed with men. There were single sex toilets and.showers.

A mixed ward might not be quite what you imagine. I hadn’t understood until I was in hospital earlier this year. There’s a central area/nurses station but then there are separate rooms which aren’t mixed sex. The separate rooms are what I would think of as a ward. I actually had my own room and bathroom. Didn’t realise for days that it was technically a mixed ward. I’d be trying to insist on staying with her though.

Can you ask if it’s single sex bays?
I’m quite surprised that you can’t go with her even just to settle her in. DH was allowed to stay with me recently while they completed the admission paperwork (I was really sedated).

I hope your DD is okay.

she's not exactly a child at 16.
it's like she was 6, or even 12.
don't let her know that you are imagining the worst re this.
she needs the surgery asap.