Being in hospital can be quite daunting, but there are things to do to help someone feel more at home.

To make a child's/young person's stay in hospital more comfortable:

• Bring some of their own bedding or pillows if you want 
• Bring home comforts like soft toys/pictures
• Bring things to do to keep people busy
• Family and friends can stay over
• Ask any questions to any members of the team

• Ward rounds - a doctor will visit on a daily basis during the ward round. This will give the child/young person and family/friends the opportunity to discuss treatment
• Education - the team can liaise with a school/college/university to help support ongoing studies wherever possible
• Mobile phones – these are allowed on the unit but we ask that people are mindful of others when using a phone and respect people’s privacy and the need to rest
• Visiting – visiting is encouraged – please check with your unit for details. Please note: if any visitors have had any symptoms of sickness and/or diarrhoea, they should not visit the ward until they have been symptom-free for a minimum of 48 hours
• No smoking is allowed in any of our hospital buildings or grounds

Parents/family/friends can help us by following some basic rules:

• Parents, family and friends may use the social spaces when invited and accompanied by the child/young person.
• Parents, family and friends are welcome to make your own beverages using the facilities in the social zone, however, please help to keep communal areas clean and tidy.
• Please respect other people and their property.
• Please respect the staff and their decision-making. Decisions are made in the best interest of all children/young people and their needs.
• Mobile phones are permitted and we do have wifi passwords to share. Please do not take photographs of other children/young people or staff without their permission.
• We ask that noise levels are kept to a minimum after 8pm to encourage a calm bedtime routine.
• Do not use inappropriate language and/or behaviour and consider other people around you at all times.
• Please bring your own headphones with you whenever possible, which we may ask you to use after 10pm.
• We know that treatment can be stressful, but we do not tolerate any form of violence or aggression towards staff or others.
• Patient information is confidential. Please understand that we cannot discuss other children/young people with you.
• Visitor beds and bedding need to be tidied away during the day.
• It is helpful to maintain personal hygiene to reduce the risk of infections. Some bed spaces have their own bathrooms and others have shared facilities.

Thank you.

Cancer is complicated – and so is cancer treatment. There are a lot of different treatments, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution because everyone is different.

The stage of cancer is an important factor when deciding treatment. A team of doctors and specialists will work together to decide exactly what is best for each individual.

The Teenage Cancer Trust has information on the main types of cancer treatment.

This includes information on:

• Chemotherapy

• Radiotherapy

• Surgery

• Tests during treatment

• Medication during treatment

• Immunotherapy

• Bone marrow and stem cell transplants