Emergency and Urgent Care - Welcome to the PANDA Unit - Children’s Emergency Department and Observation and Assessment Unit

Who we are

The PANDA Unit consists of a team of nurses, community nurses, clinical support workers, advanced nurse practitioners, junior doctors and medical/nursing consultants. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We care for children and young people from 0-15 years of age.

Orientation to PANDA

Whilst on PANDA you might find the following information helpful:

Toilet/changing facilities:

• There is one bathroom (complete with shower and toilet) available at the far end of PANDA, between cubicles 7 and 8. Please let us know if you require a towel or a toothbrush
• Additionally, there is a toilet in the seating area, as well as toilets in the waiting area
• Changing mat facilities are available in both bathrooms within PANDA, as well as within the first toilet as you come into the waiting areas. Nappies are available on request

Refreshments:

• There is a cold water fountain situated near to the bathroom at the far end of PANDA. Disposable cups are kept on a shelf above
• Hot drinks are available on request – please ask a member of the team
• Food will be offered at mealtimes – if you require something in between then please ask and we will let you know what is available at that moment. Generally, we have cereal, bread (we can make toast), biscuits and sandwiches readily available
• A limited range of first baby formula is available, as are pre sterilised bottles and teats. We do also have cold water sterilisation available if needed

Our PANDA promise

Is to always be compassionate and caring,
Providing excellent care for all,
To always be there when there is a call.
We hope to deliver all that you expect,
By treating you and your child with dignity and respect.

Children that are discharged home

We want to make sure that you have enough information about your child’s condition and treatment before discharge. Please do not hesitate to speak to a member of staff if you are unsure or have any questions.

Your PANDA Journey

1. Arrive at the Emergency Department
2. Book in at main reception
3. You will be asked to wait in the main waiting room or go the PANDA waiting room
4. An experienced nurse will assess your child
5. Based on this assessment, your child will be sent to the most appropriate area, dependent upon your child’s clinical need. This may be the primary care centre or the PANDA unit. In some cases, your child may be sent home with advice instead
6. Children are seen in order of clinical need, not time of arrival. During busy periods waiting can be increased – up to 4 hours. At times of high demand, this may be longer*
7. Your child will be seen and treated
8. A period of observation may be needed
9. You may be discharged home
10. If required, we will arrange community nurses for follow up
11. Your child may require further observation on PANDA
12. As we are a children’s emergency department and short stay unit. Your child may be transferred to an inpatient facility

*Please inform a member of staff if you are concerned about your child whilst in the waiting room.

Children that need to be transferred

As the PANDA unit is unable to keep patients for more than 24 hours, the clinician may decide to transfer your child to another hospital. Sometimes this decision may be made if the unit is very busy, and we are concerned that patient safety may be compromised.

Where possible we try our best to transfer your child to a paediatric inpatient unit of your choice. However, this is not always possible due to bed availability.

Overnight Parent Policy

If you child requires overnight observation on the PANDA unit, we have a one parent policy – this means only one parent can stay overnight. Thank you for understanding.

Making sure that every child is safe

We have a duty of care to safeguard children. We have safeguarding policies and procedures to make sure that every child is protected from harm.

Sometimes we need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies. We will ensure that our concerns are discussed with you (parents/guardians) unless we are concerned that this will cause the child more harm. This may prolong your stay on the unit.

Comments and Feedback

We aim to provide the best possible care for your child, so welcome your feedback in order that we can continuously improve the service we provide.

We also have a patient feedback questionnaire that we may ask you to complete. If you have not been given one, please ask a member of staff if you would like to complete one.

However, if you do not wish to discuss your feedback with staff on the unit, you can also contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) on 0161 778 5665 or you can email: pals@nca.nhs.uk