"My son was a patient on the Treehouse ..."

What I liked

My son was a patient on the Treehouse unit overnight. We have been to various hospitals for various reasons and found the Children's Unit at Stepping Hill to be one of the best. Very bright and cheerful, with friendly staff and excellent facilities for parents. The free CBBC on the Patientline bedside tv's was a godsend. The nursing staff were excellent, although the play worker on duty seemed out of their comfortzone and failed to be the distraction on the way to the Anaesthetic room one would hope. How can you work on a Childrens Unit and have no knowledge of Ben 10 or Doctor Who or The Simpsons! All in all though, a positive experience.

What could be improved

The playworker who accompanied us to theatre spent more time talking to me about my planned holidays and what I'm up to this weekend etc. I'd have rather the conversation been geared towards my son in a bid to keep him relaxed. I geared the conversation towards him only to have another adult conversation starting up! Lovely person, but ill-timing and misreading of the situation I felt. My only other gripe was the language being used by the relatives of another child closeby on the unit, but I realise that is beyond the unit's control!

Anything else?

All in all, a very positive experience. I'd certainly recommend the Treehouse Unit to other parents when relatively standard ailments and minor procedures are undertaken. A specific thanks goes to the staff nurse assigned to us for her great bedside manner and her ability to get a reluctant giggle out of my son :)