Hospital Encourages Play for Child Patient Treatment and Recovery

Play is being utilized to support the treatment and recovery of young patients at a hospital in Norfolk. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King’s Lynn employs both dedicated play specialists and paediatric physiotherapists. This initiative aims to prevent children hospitalized from lagging behind their peers and to alleviate the stress associated with ward admissions. Furthermore, play serves as a method to educate children about upcoming operations or treatments, thereby diminishing anxiety. Clemmie Halligey, a paediatric physiotherapist, stated: “For these children who are poorly they still need those opportunities to play and just because they are unwell doesn’t mean they should miss out.” She added: “It’s really important that they get the opportunities to have that play time and to develop in the way that other children do outside of the hospital.” Among the individuals benefiting from this play therapy is Lennon, aged 13 months. He sustained nerve damage on the right side of his body due to a stroke, resulting in weakness in his right arm and leg. Additionally, he has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. According to his mother, Ellie, Lennon is unaware he is performing his physiotherapy exercises while engaging in play on the Rudham ward. Ellie recounted: “We noticed that he was weak on one side,” adding, “Then he had an MRI scan to confirm it. “But he’s improving every day. “He wears a cast on his left arm to encourage him to use the right one when he plays.” She further noted that it is now challenging to discern Lennon’s weaker side due to his significant recovery. Beyond the twice-weekly appointments, the QEH team has connected Ellie with other support groups for parents of children facing health challenges and has also conducted home visits to the family. Nicola Wright, a play specialist, highlighted the importance of preparing children for operations as a key aspect of her role. She explained: “We’ll go through the theatre story book in a way that they can understand so they aren’t scared when they go to theatre.” Wright continued: “We’ll even support them when they are in the anaesthetic room with toys and bubbles and books to hopefully make it a bit more of a positive experience.” Within the ward, children are encouraged to utilize the playroom or bring toys to their bedsides. This approach aims to divert their attention from their illness towards enjoyable activities. Ms Wright commented: “Recently we’ve had some children who were actually crying because they didn’t want to go home.” “That shows you’re doing a good job.”