What's the age range on a children's ward in a UK hospital?
In the book I'm writing, a girl of 15 spends some time in hospital. Now, with the kind of injury she has, she'd initially be in an intensive care ward, but once she's well enough, I suspect she'd be moved to an ordinary ward.
What I want to know is would a 15-year-old be on a children's ward rather than an adult one, and also, are children's wards for children of all ages, or are they split between younger and older kids? My brother was in hospital when he was 15, and he was on the men's ward, but that was over 20 years ago and I don't know if things have changed.
Essentially I want to know whether a girl of 15 could be stuck on a ward with a bunch of whining, puking little kids.
The book is set in England.
2012-02-27T09:48:53Z
@cathrl69 - I won't be using a real hospital - I'll be making one up. And thanks, that's v helpful.
Anonymous2012-02-27T09:44:33Z
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It depends on the hospital whether a teenager would be on a children's ward or an adult one, but many hospitals nowadays also have wards specifically for teenagers.
Is it a real hospital? If so, you'll have to look it up. If it's a fictional hospital, any one of the three situations is plausible. You certainly could stick her on a ward with little kids if that's what you want to do.
I was in hospital 2 weeks before my 18th birthday and i got placed on a childrens ward with a bunch of whining children, although i was told whilst i was there, that if i wasnt still within education i would of been on an adults ward. Im not really sure how attending college at the age of 16-18 changes where your placed, its a strange system. so im guessing a 15 year old would definatly be on a childrens or teenage ward it would depend what was wrong with her. All the times ive been in hospital wards it was only split between boy and girls for the wards, age didnt really come into it.
In some hospitals older teenagers transition into an adult hospital or ward, where they are expected to make some decisions in their care, ask the doctors and staff for what they need, and question their doctors about their progress. The school tutoring program is most active in the pediatric ward, but with today's laptop computers you may work independently on your classwork in an adult ward.
Between the ages of 14-16, you can choose whether you want to be on the children's or adult's ward.. I think. Depends where there are beds free. Most people choose to go on children's though as why would you want to be with old, dying people. I think it's all ages as my friend was in a room with a 6 year old. I think they put you in a room depending on your illness or how sick you are.