‘A really scary place for bairns’: English hospitals hae a chronic lack o health play staff

Bairns in English hospitals wi serious illnesses are bein exposed to avoidable trauma cause there is a chronic lack o health play professionals bein employed, accordin to an analysis frae a leadin charity.

These workers help tae support bairns through the trauma and anxiety that can come wi receivin medical treatment while in hospital, by providin play opportunities through games, toys and activities.

Haein said that, the hospitals are facin a shortage o sic staff, leavin bairns without the relief that sic organised play and games can gie tae these haein treatment for serious conditions.

Acrost NHS hospitals, there are only 955 full-time equivalent health play professionals current supportin 21 million bairn hospital admissions ilka year, accordin tae figures obtained by the charity Starlight Children’s Foundation via freedom o information requests. This equates tae a ratio o aboot one professional for every 22,061 admissions, far below the recommendit staffin levels o one professional per 2,230 hospital admissions. In England, there are 820 health play professionals supportin almost 17 million admissions.

Health play professionals can also help tae provide positive healthcare experiences for bairns, which research has shawed can help tae reduce distress, improve cooperation and help tae prevent lifelong healthcare avoidance and mental health problems associatit wi traumatic childhood healthcare experiences.

At the age o three, Lyndsey Hookway’s dochter Filly was diagnosit wi acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She spent 26 months in and oot o hospital undergoin treatment includin chemotherapy.

Noo 13, Filly recalls the positive impact health play had on her when she was younger.

“I definitely did feel less anxious and less nervous, and they definitely did help me owercome stuff like losin my hair, sic as playin wi a lion teddy called Ollie the Brave who had removable wigs,” Filly said. “I was definitely bored and so haein the play specialists really did help wi that.”

“They really do mak a big difference and it really did mak a difference on the days that they werenae there.”

She addit: “They shud be considerit the same priority as ither hospital staff because I think especially for bairns who they are mostly for, the hospitals can be a really scary place. So it really does help.”

For Hookway, the play professionals also gied parents o seriously ill bairns relief at a time that was incredibly overwhelmie for the hale family.

“Haein the health play professionals was a nice break for Filly tae hae someone who wasnae me, who was fallin apairt,” Hookway said. “Filly was bored and scared and in pain and unwell, durin a her admissions. But she has also got a mither who is probably traumatised and stressit and spinnin plates at hame as well.”

She addit: “We hae seen the difference atween the hospitals that were weel-resourced by play specialists and the anes that werenae.”

Alangside the shortage o specialist staff, Starlight also foond that only 23% o NHS trusts and health boards acrost the UK had dedicatit budgets tae train health play professionals, resultin in a postcode lottery wi inequitable access tae therapeutic play support. Furthermore, nae integratit care board (ICB) has a dedicatit health play budget.

Only 5% o ICBs include health play within their bairns and young people’s strategies.

Cathy Gilman, the chief executive o Starlight, said: “Ilka bairn deserves healthcare that is compassionate as weel as clinically excellent. Yet for ower mony bairns, hospital is frightenin, overwhelmie and, ultimately, traumatic. We ken thae experiences can stay wi them for life, affectin their mental health and even whether they seek healthcare as adults.”

“Play changes that. It helps bairns understand what is happenin, gies them a sense o control, builds trust wi the healthcare team and reduces fear before, durin and efter treatment. It isnae entertainment and it certainly isnae a luxury. It is an essential pairt o safe, effective bairn’s healthcare.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS has workit closely wi Starlight tae produce the health service’s first guidance aimit at improvin health play services acrost England. This guidance, developit wi dozens o healthcare professionals, is helpin local health systems design services which are a welcomin and therapeutic environment for babies and bairns.”