Birmingham Children's Hospital

One of the UK's specialist children's cancer and leukaemia treatment centres.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
Steelhouse Lane,
Birmingham,
B4 6NH

Telephone: 0121 333 9999
Website: www.bch.org.uk top of page

Facilities include restaurants, snack bars, a coffee shop, a cash point and payphones throughout the hospital. There is a child and family information centre with internet access, an interpreter service, education centre, medical library and chaplaincy. You can find out more about these facilities at the hospital welcome desk.

The hospital is a short walk from the city centre.

Train:  The hospital is within walking distance of two main railway stations – Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.
For more information contact National Rail Enquiries on
0845 7 48 49 50 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk

Tram: The Metro tram service runs from Wolverhampton to Snow Hill Station every 10 minutes. Call the Centro Hotline on
0121 200 2700 for times and details of your nearest tram stop.

Bus: Buses from across the West Midlands serve Birmingham City Centre and most buses stop within a 5-10 minute walk of the hospital. Due to the ongoing development of the city centre, please check your bus route and city centre bus stop locations, before setting off. You can do this by calling the Centro Hotline on
0121 200 2700 or visiting www.centro.org.uk
 
Parking on Site:  As the hospital is located in the city centre parking is very restricted and expensive. On street parking is also very limited and costs approximately £1 for 30 minutes. Several public car parks are available within walking distance of the hospital, the nearest being the Thistle Hotel. These can be costly however. To find out more visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/citycentrecarparks or call 0121 303 7617.

Outpatient and Visitor Parking: There are only 60 spaces available for parents and these these are expensive and fill up very quickly during the day. Exceptions are possible, but will only be given in extenuating circumstances. You must speak to your named nurse, who will pass your request onto the ward manager and then the facilities manager.
 
Airport: Birmingham International Airport is situated roughly eight miles south-east of Birmingham Children's Hospital. It is accessible by car and by public transport. The number 900 bus is the best route to the centre. This goes from the airport to Moor Street, where there is a nine minute walk to the hospital. Buses run every 20 minutes until 5pm, after which they run every 30 minutes. For further information, visit the airport's website at www.bhx.co.uk or ring 0121 767 5511. top of page

General: Ward 15 – Haematology & Oncology

Direct Telephone: 0121 333 9128/9132/9133

No. of Beds: There are three, four bed bays, four cubicles and one post-BMT clinic bay. The High Dependency Unit (HDU) has six cubicles.

There is a TCT Unit for Teenagers and Young Adults age 13-18. 16-18 years can choose whether to have their treatment at BCH or YPU, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Age Range: 0-18

Play: Family support workers are on the ward to assist with play. Equipment includes Playstations and TVs. There is also a separate play centre that is away from the ward and children playing here must be accompanied by an adult. A therapy room is also provided.

Learning: James Brindley School is the hospital school, with a dedicated teacher for each ward. For those children who are not well enough to leave the ward, teachers are able to teach on the ward. There are computers on the wards to assist with teaching.

Additional Information: Laundry facilities are available for parents to use. There is a parents room where parents can microwave prepared meals and make drinks.

Meal Times: Meals are mainly at set times.  Breakfast is when the child wakes up and consists of cereals etc, lunch is at 12pm and tea is at 5pm. Parents must eat in the hospital restaurants or in the parents’ room.

Rounds: There is always a doctor present on the ward. Although the main oncology round is on a Friday, haematology and bone marrow are on Tuesday.

Visiting times: There is no set maximum number of visitor numbers, however it must be a reasonable number and also with consideration for other families and children.  Only parents can visit after 8pm.

One parent is able to sleep next to the child’s bed. There is self-catering parents’ accommodation (Ronald McDonald House) adjacent to the hospital.  Priority is given to those families who have travelled long distances to the hospital, or whose children are expected to be in hospital for some time.

Rooms cannot be reserved in advance but will be allocated when they become available.  Application forms need to be processed via the hospital. 

PALS: Patient Advice and Liaisons Service (PALS) and support groups are available.

Society of Parents of Children with Cancer (SPOCC): meets in the oncology clinic. They are available during morning clinics when they provide and staff a refreshment bar.

Leukaemia Care Representative: Regularly available in clinic.

Child Eye Cancer Trust Family Support Worker: Available during clinic sessions.