Butterfly Ward

Welcome to Butterfly Ward. I am Laura Graham, the Ward Manager, and I am here to help facilitate the best possible care for you and your family.

Butterfly Ward is on level 4 of the Octav Botnar Wing. The ward treats children and young people under the specialties of haematology, oncology, immunology and bone marrow transplants, although children from all specialties can be treated here.

The ward treats patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Butterfly Ward has 18 single en-suite patient rooms including four bone marrow transplant isolation rooms. There is also a four bedded day care area called Dragonfly.

Your child will be given a bed space according to how their physical, psychological and social needs are best met whilst taking into consideration the needs of other children and young people on the ward. We do everything we can to protect the privacy and dignity of your child at all times during their stay.

If you have any questions during your stay please speak to one of our expert nurses or myself.

Staff

Ward Manager: Laura Graham +44 (0)207 829 8676

Matron: Claudia Tomlin +44 (0)207 813 8401

Family-centred care

You are a valued member of your child’s healthcare team and we encourage you to take part in their care as much as possible.

Each morning there is a daily ward round, led by a team of doctors and nurses, and it is essential that parent(s) attend these. During this time your child’s condition will be assessed and important information about your child’s treatment plan will be passed on to you.

It is expected that you take an active part in your child’s hygiene needs while on the ward. The nursing staff will talk through this with you on arrival.

For more information on family-centred care please visit this page. 

Interpreting support

Arabic interpreters on Butterfly Ward provide an interpretation and translation service for families and patients during the following times:

8.00am-8.00pm Monday-Friday

8.30am-7.00pm Saturday 

8.30am-6.30pm Sunday (and bank holidays)

Facilities

All inpatient rooms have en-suite bathrooms equipped with a bath or shower. There are also several bathrooms with a disabled access shower that allows for the use of hoists on the ward. We provide towels in each room but we ask you to provide toiletries for your child and yourself. You may wish to bring specific items for comfort - please visit our useful guide on what to bring for more information. 

Storage space with a mirror and power socket is provided in the room. The room also has a lockable safe.

A parent’s lounge for relaxing is available 24 hours a day. There is filtered water, speciality teas and luxury coffee provided. These sitting areas have a television with multiple channels in a variety of languages, and reading material, including daily English and Arabic newspapers. There is also a ward kitchen attached to the lounge available for parent's use. 

There is a Play Room on the ward, with toys, games and books available for children of all ages. Please note that Play Rooms are currently closed for our patients and staff's safety. 

The whole ward is Wi-Fi enabled. All of the inpatient beds on Butterfly Ward have their own entertainment system, featuring a range of television channels. The system can be adjusted to a range of positions over the patient bed for ease of viewing.

We aim to make your stay on Butterfly Ward as comfortable as possible, and the hospitality team are here to help you achieve this.

 

Laundry

Laundry facilities (a washing machine and tumble dryer) are provided free of charge and can be found on Butterfly Ward. There is no need for detergent or fabric conditioner, as the washing machine dispenses these automatically.

Operating instructions are provided in the laundry. Please speak to the hospitality team if you need any assistance. Please do not wash and dry clothes in your child’s rooms.

Food for your child

Our children’s menu has been designed following consultation with expert dietitians, and we can offer halal, kosher, vegetarian, special diet and normal meals. Please let your nurse know if your child requires a special diet.

A hospitality assistant will visit you each day so that you may choose your child’s food for either the same day or the following morning.

Food for parents

Meals are provided free of charge for the main parent/carer staying with their child. Meals are available from our hospital menu, and provided at breakfast, lunch and dinner time.

Tea, coffee, biscuits, milk, bread and breakfast cereals are all available in the ward kitchen for you – please help yourself to these items. As well as The Lagoon restaurant within the hospital, there are many other restaurants and cafés in the local area. You can find more information on facilities for parents here. 

Food may be reheated in the parent’s kitchen, but it is not possible to cook raw food. We ask that no uncooked meat be taken onto the ward at any time. In the kitchen there is a microwave and fridge to store food. We will provide stickers for you to label your food with your name and cubicle number. The fridge is cleaned every day and out-of-date will be thrown away.

Daily afternoon tea, coffee and cake is served to the patient cubicle, with the option of assorted sandwiches on request. 

Visiting times

We have specific visiting hours on the ward, and we ask that you follow nursing and medical instructions regarding visiting times.

We provide facilities for one parent to stay overnight at the bedside, and it is expected that anyone not staying as the nominated carer overnight, leave the hospital by 8.00pm.

For more details on visiting polices please visit this page. 

If you are visiting the UK from another country, please visit GOV.UK for the latest advice on quarantine and self-isolation policies. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us.