Rainforest Ward has 11 beds and is on Level 5 of the Cardiac Wing.
This ward is for children with metabolic disorders, which disrupt the body's metabolism and internal chemistry and endocrine disorders involving the glands that secrete hormones and also gastroenterology problems.
Because of the nature of these conditions, the children on this ward can have long stays in hospital and may need several different tests or procedures.
Rainforest Ward deals with rare, very serious conditions alongside more common ones such as Crohn's disease and colitis.
The unit is also a specialist centre for children with hyperinsulinaemia, where the body produces too much of the hormone insulin.
Rainforest Ward
Level 5, Cardiac Wing
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street
London
WC1N 3JH
Map
Rainforest nurses' station: 020 7829 8824
You can learn more about our clinical specialties by visiting:
Staff on the ward
Rainforest Ward is run by our highly qualified nursing team including clinical nurse specialists who work alongside doctors from the specialist fields of metabolic medicine, endocrinology and gastroenterology.
Your child will see their named consultant regularly as well as the 'on duty' consultant for the ward.
Dieticians can advise on all aspects of your child's diet. There is also a psychosocial team including a ward counsellor, psychologist, family therapist, play specialist, social worker and school teacher to support you and your family.
The following members of staff will be available to help you during your stay on the ward:
- Mark Goninon, Head of Nursing
- Nattalie Alwash, Ward Sister
Conditions we treat
The special areas of expertise include:
- metabolic disorders
- endocrine disorders
- digestive disorders
The unit is also a specialist centre for children with hyperinsulinaemia.
Ward information
The ward is divided into two sections (A and B) but they are both staffed as one ward.
Some of the beds are for short stay patients, others are for children who need to stay for longer.
For security reasons, the doors to both sides of the ward are kept locked. Please ring the bell and a member of staff will unlock the door.
Parents are welcome to visit at any time. We would appreciate it though if friends and other visitors could leave the ward by 10pm if possible. This is to allow children and their families time to rest.
Meals are provided for children and teenagers who are patients on Rainforest Ward. Lunch is between 12 midday and 12.30pm and dinner is between 5pm and 5.30pm.
Bed allocation
We do our utmost to protect the privacy and dignity of your child at all times during their stay at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Your child will be allocated a bed space according to their physical, psychological and social needs, taking into consideration the needs of other children and young people on the ward at that time.
Of the ward's 11 beds, eight are individual cubicles and three are in the main ward area. The cubicles are usually kept for children who are on home parenteral nutrition (PN) and those undergoing home PN training. They are also used for infectious patients and those recovering from bone marrow transplant.
If the cubicles are not needed for these children, we try to give them to older patients so they can have some privacy and quiet.
Please tell us if your child has a preference for being with other children of their own age and/or gender.
We will try to meet this request where possible. But please remember that sometimes requests cannot be met.
Your child's safety will be our utmost priority at all times.
Facilities for parents
You are a valued member of your child's health care team and we encourage you to take part in his or her care as much as possible while in hospital.
We can usually provide accommodation for one parent. The cubicles offer a pull-down bed where a parent can sleep by their child's side. A parent of a child in the main bay area will be offered overnight accommodation in another part of the hospital.
There is a parents' room just off the ward to allow you a bit of peace when needed. You are very welcome to use this room at any time. It is equipped with tea and coffee making facilities, and a microwave which you can use to heat up snacks.
Meals are not provided for parents, but food and drink can be bought from the various catering facilities within the hospital and local area. There is also a hospital shop, which sells refreshments and gifts.
Mobile phones can only be used in the parents' room or the stairwell outside the ward. Using them elsewhere can interfere with our medical equipment, and can also be disruptive to other families.
Facilities for children
Rainforest Ward has a well equipped playroom and a play specialist who organises activities. The play specialist can provide age appropriate play opportunities and can help to prepare your child for the procedures that they will undergo in hospital.
Children can also use the Centre on the ground floor of the Southwood Building that has an outdoor area and a dedicated room (the Den) for teenagers.
The hospital school is located on the ground floor of the Southwood Building, next door to the Centre. Teachers also visit Rainforest Ward.
Regulations on the ward
The following are not allowed on Rainforest Ward:
- Flowers – water in the vase can develop a bacterium that can cause infection in children.
- Latex Balloons – due to potential allergic reactions.
If any of your visitors have been in contact with coughs, colds, tummy bugs, or infectious diseases like chicken pox or measles, we would prefer them to wait until they are better before visiting. No child will be allowed in to the ward if they have chicken pox.
