Inside TAU

Reception and waiting area

When you arrive at the Theatre Admissions Unit (TAU) a member of nursing staff will open the door and welcome you in.

At the reception desk we’ll make sure all your details are correct and check you in to the hospital system so our medical teams know that you’re here for your appointment.

You will be shown where to wait. The Nursing team will do more checks, give your child a name band and put local anaesthetic cream on the backs of their hands ready for the general anaesthetic. Doctors will also come and talk to you about your child’s operation and anaesthetic.

Your child will be weighed and measured. This is important for working out the doses of anaesthetic and any medication they may need after their operation.

After all our checks have been completed and you have been seen by the nurses, surgeon and anaesthetist, there may be a wait until your child is called for their operation.

Your child will be asked to change into a hospital gown before going to theatre.

When it is your child’s turn to go to theatre a theatre escort will come and collect them. Only one parent/carer is allowed in the anaesthetic room.

While your child is in theatre we recommend you find refreshment for yourselves in our cafe or restaurant. Once your child is in the Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU), also known as Recovery, you will be contacted by the nursing team and asked to report to Theatre Reception, so we can find you nearby as your child wakes up.

If you need anything or if you have any questions, just come and speak to a member of staff at the TAU nurses’ station.

Play area

TAU has a range of play and entertainment facilities for patients of all ages.

Young children enjoy books, toys and games and can get involved with art and craft activities with our play team and hospital volunteers.

Please feel free to bring in your child’s favourite toy, game or entertainment device.

For babies we have musical toys and can provide a space for you to change your baby’s nappy and breastfeed (although your baby may not be able to feed before going to theatre – please check with a member of nursing staff if you are unsure about this).

Please feel free to bring in your child’s favourite toy, game or entertainment device.

There are resources displayed in the department where you can get information on a range of subjects.

Post-anaesthetic care unit (recovery area)

After your child’s operation has finished they will begin to wake up in the Post-anaesthetic care unit (or recovery area). At this point you will be called to Theatre reception where you can be nearby when your child is ready for you. The time you wait in Theatre Reception is variable depending on how quickly your child wakes up. When it is appropriate, your child will be transferred to TAU for second stage recovery.

If your child requires inpatient care they will be transferred straight to a ward.

What happens once your child is back on TAU

When they are ready, children will continue their recovery on TAU, and have something to eat and drink.

Your child’s continuing recovery on TAU generally takes between 1 to 2 hours, although this can vary depending on the operation. If your child has had their tonsils out for instance, they may be here for around 3 hours. If they’ve had a very minor procedure, they could be here for less than an hour.

This is also where we make arrangements for your child to be discharged from hospital. We offer nurse-led discharge which means that once you, your child and our nursing staff are satisfied that they have fully recovered, you are free to return home without seeing a doctor.

After discharge

Before you leave, the nurse will give you verbal and written information about any follow-up appointments your child may need and any specific wound care and pain relief advice.

Parents are advised to provide their own paracetamol and ibuprofen. We will give you written information that explains when to give the next dose and how often you will need to do this.

Some children will have take-home medicines which you will need to collect from Pharmacy before discharge. Children having certain operations, for instance tonsillectomy, may need stronger pain relief in addition to regular paracetamol and ibuprofen. In these circumstances we will provide a small quantity of oral morphine (oramorph) which can be used as necessary over the first few days following the operation. The dose is carefully worked out to be correct for your child and we encourage you to make use of the oral morphine if your child is uncomfortable.

We discourage travel home by public transport and would suggest that two adults are present on the journey home so that one can drive and one can concentrate on your child.