Ward 3 are making the bed for your little one.

Please refer to the previous section “Preparing for your assessment - things to know before you go” section for:

• Booking Accommodation if needed

• Help with your mental health

• You may be entitled to financial help

• How to get to Ward 3

If you would like to contact the Liaison team before your admission:

You’ve likely already met many people on Ward 3, but there are plenty more getting ready for your arrival and looking forward to welcoming you.

The Liaison Team will be in touch about your admission, so don’t hesitate to ask them any questions. In the meantime, here are some handy tips to help you prepare!

Can you remember which team wear these uniforms?

What to pack for Ward 3

We asked our Bubble families what would have been useful to know before they were admitted to Ward 3. All the following recommendations are from these families. Please check the “Life on the Ward” section about available storage on the ward before packing too much.

Clothing

All clothing will be washed on the ward at a high temperature so please make sure anything you bring is suitable and be prepared for possible shrinkage.

Clothing for Patients

Patients can still dress in cheerful, stylish clothing.  We encourage bright, colourful clothes to add warmth and personality to a sterile, clinical environment. When your child is happy to, we recommend not spending all day in pyjamas.

For babies, families recommend packing plenty of vests, bodysuits, bibs, and sleepsuits. Wrap-over bodysuits, with both long and short sleeves, are particularly helpful, as they allow nurses and doctors easy access for checks and essential care.

Younger children may grow out of clothes while you are on the ward, so you may need to bring extra sizes, or buy more clothes when you are here.

It might be useful to think of changing temperatures over the next few months.  The temperature of your child may fluctuate during treatment, so it is best to have a range of clothing to cover all possibilities.

We recommend all children and young people have clothes and pyjamas for five days, warm socks, slip on shoes, and plenty of spare underwear, comfortable clothing and nothing expensive.

If you need to buy more clothes, we have made a map of Newcastle with nearby shops to help you find clothing shops.

Clothing for adults

Our previous families recommend bringing comfy clothes that are easy to wash and wrinkle-free.

• Footwear - slip-on shoes are great for easy wear and quick removal. You will need a pair to wear inside your cubicle only and pair for whenever you leave the cubicle.

• Bottoms – leggings, joggers or similar, for comfort.

• Tops – in the cubicle adults need to wear short sleeves for infection control. Soft, easy to wash t-shirts. Hoodies and long-sleeved tops for outside the cubicle. We recommend one long sleeved top to wear at night.  Nights can get chilly with the air filtration system constantly active keeping germs at bay.

• Coats – you will need a coat for your ventures out into Newcastle. Coats are kept in the Family Room, no outside wear in your cubicle.

• Hijab – if you wear a hijab you will need one for inside the cubicle and one for outside the cubicle.

Top tips

• Sizing up is recommended in case clothes shrink after hot washes.

• Bear in mind that the season and the weather may change while you are here.

Accessories

• Bedding – you can bring up to two favourite blankets, and two sheets (or duvet covers to use as sheets) but be prepared for them to go through daily hot washes. No duvets or pillows.

• Lighting – consider bringing ambient lighting for a homely vibe in the evening e.g. star projectors.

• Puzzles - such as crosswords to keep your mind occupied and as a distraction from the challenge of living on the ward.

• Travel pack bags - to keep things organised in the storage lockers provided.

• The Bubble Foundation provide toys and games, but you can also bring in your own favourites and games consoles. Toys must be machine washable or fully wipeable. No toys with a combination of plastic and material such as a plastic doll with hair. No unvarnished wooden toys please.

• Headphones – an essential for some of our families! Whether it’s your favourite music or a nice podcast, it’s good to fit in some ‘me’ time like you would normally try to do at home. Headphones need to be fully cleanable.

• Ear plugs – disposable only- and eye masks - helpful to block out any light and sound at night. (We provide eye masks for you!)

Health products and toiletries



• You will be supplied with Octensian soap to use in the shower for yourself and your child (or hydromol for the bath for your child).  You may want to use your child’s own shower wash whilst on the ward. This is allowed, but you need to be careful that it won’t be harmful to your child’s skin, so please ask the ward staff for advice.

• You will be supplied with Hydromol or Dermol 500 ointment for your child.

• You will need to bring toothpaste for your child and yourself, it must be new and unopened on arrival. Toothbrushes for your child be supplied, they will need a new one each time they clean their teeth.

• Any toiletries you bring for your own use must be unopened on arrival.

• For adults living on the ward, your health and wellbeing is important, too. Consider bringing dietary supplements to support your health.  

• Regular hand and arm washing can lead to your skin drying out so consider bringing a moisturiser for yourself.  

• No nail polish, gel or false nails during your stay.

• If you are unsure about any products, please ask the ward staff.

Preparing to leave home

Everyone’s situation is unique. Hopefully the following reminders will be helpful.

Swapping or stopping services

You may want to consider pausing any subscriptions that you have, particularly for perishables like food and milk deliveries. You may be able to pause your Council Tax if your home will be empty.

It is recommended that you swap your GP to a GP in Newcastle before you arrive. If possible fill any repeat prescriptions you have for yourself before you come to Newcastle.

Consider keeping your subscriptions for services like Netflix and Disney+ so you can use them during your stay. 

Vacant properties

Everyone’s situation is unique. Some things to consider if your property will be vacant:

• If possible, pause subscriptions and payments.

• Fridge – clear it out before you leave.

• Pets - arrange for pet care through boarding or a trusted friend or family member.

• Houseplants - consider asking someone to water plants.

• Give a key, or lock box combination, to someone you trust – do this as soon as you can in case your admission dates are brought forward.

• Security - ask someone to check in, bring in mail, or use a smart home system with remote monitoring.

• Rental properties – check your lease as you may need to notify your landlord if your property will be empty for more than few weeks.  

These small steps can help keep everything in order at home, allowing you to focus on your journey.

Family and friends staying at home

If you are the adult staying at home with other children, balancing work and home life can be challenging as you will have extra responsibilities. Speaking to your family, friends, and employers early on may help everyone understand and plan accordingly for your change of circumstance.

When it comes to informing a patient’s sibling(s), it’s natural to approach this in a way that suits your family. Older children may be more understanding, while younger ones may find it harder to grasp. Some parents choose to provide their children with phones earlier than planned to help them stay in touch with the adult staying on the ward.

If you’re the sole adult caring for a child at home while one of their parents is in Newcastle, you could consider speaking with your GP and / or Social Services to support your mental health and planning.

Anybody related to a patient can join our Bubble Buddies Facebook group to connect with other families - they’re very welcoming!

Extended family and friends

Extended family and friends are important in this journey. They can help with things like preparation, shopping lists and driving patients to hospital. If they buy books and toys as gifts for patients, they can be sent directly to the ward. Please make sure they know the limitations on acceptable types of toys.

Send this link to your family and friends:

www.bubblefoundation.org.uk/family-area/i-know-a-family

Talking to your employer

Conversations with employers can be difficult.

You can ask the Family Liaison Team to provide a letter for your employer. We have created a page on our website that you can send to your employer. The page shows examples of how your employer can help you through this difficult time. It shows a range of examples and aims to guide your employer into making a compassionate decision.

We think that a generic page on the website which explains the process families / patients will go through, noting that every journey is different , never know who long it will be etc would be great to send to families, friends and employers. Other than the letter the Liaison Team provide we cant really give anything, or advice, to employers, they will all handle it differently.

We asked previous families how they have engaged with their employers and what possibilities there are.

Some parents staying at home organised parental leave with their employer so they could accommodate school runs, dinner and homework. Other parents received full pay while away or came to different arrangements that helped their individual circumstances.

You can send this link to your employer:

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