can someone please talk to me about KINGS HOSPITAL in LONDON??

[mad4myboys]

9 month old ds2 is going in for a few days and dh is staying the night with him and i am staying the nights at home with ds1. We live quite a way away so im not going to be able to be there much but want to know what facilities are like? At 9 months old will ds2 be put in a ward? Where will dh sleep? do they have a milk kitchen?

Im going to go up on the sat with ds1 to pick them up, what are the wards like for toys??

Kings College? Which ward?

yeah kings college. I dont actually know yet, he has been given a bed only just now and he is going in in 2 weeks as a minor emergency so waiting for the letter with the info

I'm sure all of the childrens wards have now been refurbished.

There is a milk kitchen, but I'm not sure if there is parent access.

The wards have toys and play areas.

You can stay with your child all of the time and sleep by their bed/cot in a camp bed (except in ICU)

Some childrens wards have rooms and some have nursery's which are seperate to the main open ward.

Hope this helps and I hope all goes well for your ds.

It is an excellent hospital, they have several of the best consultants in the country in varying fields and recently topped a best London hospital report, if my DD had to have anything done I would be very happy with her going there.

I have been there a few times myself and have always had really good treatment. Good like for your DS.

thanks. ds1 is 3, do you think im better not taking him there to pick them up? In case we are delayed getting discharged do you think there would be enough to entertain him? (being that he obv isnt a sick kid on hosp!)

On their website it looks to be alot of different buildings, are there restaurants?

Oh and when there before I slept on a hospital bed and DD was in a cot and I am fairly sure I had access to milk kitchen (stayed in two hosps when DD was about 9/10 months so just trying to remember which is which!).

Here is a link to some ward info and you can click on the type of thing your DS is going in for and there will be a bit more general info.

There is a restaurant (it's dire), three snack/coffee bars and a little shop. There are two main building which are linked internally.

If the wards haven't moved since I last went there the childrens wards are easy to get to. Go in the entrance of the older looking building (which also has the main reception in) and straight ahead of you are the lifts that will take you to the childrens wards.

If you take ds1 and you are delayed there is a park right behind the hospital.

The parking can be a nightmare there as there aren't many spaces in the car park. Out of peak times and at weekends it is fine though

mad4, they have a restaurant and a shop and there is a McDonalds about a five minute walk away and a couple of parks nearby. I am sure he will be fine though, they cater for children waiting around for appointments so plenty to play with.

If you can save him the trip and get a sitter relatively easily it might be an idea, just because it will give you time to concentrate on your little DS2 without worrying about keeping your DS1 amused.

we have to be there just after lunch on the thursday and hopefully discharged saturday...What are the roads like around it? Is it like driving in central london?

Roughly where are you coming from? If you're driving in from SW London it is just like London driving, a bit easier if you are coming from SE London direction I think but still pretty busy.

The roads immediately around the hospital are ok but getting through Brixton (if you have to go that way) can sometimes be a nightmare, shouldn't be too bad on a Thu after lunch though.

we will be coming in on the a20.....

The roads aren't quite so chaotic as central London, but they do snarl up a bit in Camberwell and people drive like knobs! You'll be fine though

joy! I live in the south east so uesd to country roads! Thought of trains but they petrify me!

Shame the train isn't an option as the station is a stones throw from the hospital.

The drive will be fine. As the traffic is heavy you don't have to worry about people driving like loons!

Its a great hospital for children, one of the best. They have TVs in each bed IIRC. The parking is expensive and you queue for ages to get into the main car park. There is another part of the hospital opposite which is the psychiatric side, and you can park in there if you are visiting. You can also park in the park next door (sorry I can't remember what its called) but spaces are limited.

There's a Nandos on the corner, and a few little cafes nearby.

They will try to put little ones in their own rooms. There's a play room which is well equipped.

I'd take toys for familiarity if nothing else.

Its fine once you get there.

Good luck, hope it all goes well.

thanks guys

King's is great. DD was only in briefly, but they are just lovely. On her ward (no, can't remember which) parents could access a kitchen, although DH brought my food in for me as I was just down the road.

there's a hospital restaurant. Just outside there's also Nando's, pizza hut, a couple of chinese places, and a fab carribbean takeway - all much nicer than the hospital cafe.

Driving round there is hideous, thick traffic at all times and parking very limited.

x-posted!

ok....have just found out he will be on the rays of sunshine ward..

does that mean anything to anyone? Anyone got pros and cons? Tips etc?

Haven't been in the wards there with the DCs, but go to the Dental Hospital next door with DS2 (he's very phobic) I just wanted to say about the parking - it is really expensive and also very small (I've never managed to actually park in there, and I've only ever tried during the week - weekend would be busier I'd imagine) We always park in the residential streets by Ruskin Park, next to the main Hospital (Usually Finsen or Ferndene Rd here) I'm not saying don't try the car park, but it's a good idea to know alternates just in case.

Traffic is dire - it's a main route into central London and the roads are far too narrow for the weight of traffic.

thanks, so dh is probably trying to make light of me panicking of driving home in london traffic!!(country bumpkin me )

Don't worry, driving will be fine. Like everyone's said, it'll be so slow the only danger will be of dying of boredom, or lack of caffeine!

i wont leave before 7pm as because we are taking ds1 who is 3, to try to miss worse of trafficim going to take his pjs and he'll fall asleep in the car..