Play in Hospital
At the Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, play is an important part of the medical care we provide to children and teenagers. The play service provides all our patients with the opportunity to play in a safe, supervised environment, which allows them to deal with their illness and treatment through play.
Play is important
- Play is a normal part of childhood
- Play helps build a child’s confidence
- Play can help a child understand things happening in his or her life
- Play is a good excuse to spend time with your child
- Play is fun
- Play helps in diagnosis
- Play helps to engage and distract children
Play specialists
Some areas have access to a qualified play specialist who has a qualification and at least two years’ experience in childcare and has successfully completed the one-year hospital play specialist course. As well as supervising the playroom or area, the play specialists/workers work with individual children to prepare them for procedures like blood tests, scans and operations. The play specialists are also available to advise parents on ways to help at home, such as activities to prepare a child for hospital or recommending toys for children with special needs. Our play specialists /workers are part of the ward team and so take part in regular ward meetings and teaching sessions.
Play staff will work as part of the team in creating a child-friendly environment and help children to play naturally in the hospital environment.
Play rooms or play areas
Each children's ward and the outpatient department has a playroom or play area stocked with toys, games and videos/DVDs. For most of the day the play specialists/workers supervise these areas, but you are still responsible for watching your child, particularly when the play specialist is with another child elsewhere. We also ask that you tidy up after your child, especially during evenings, at weekends and during holiday periods. If your child has to stay in bed you can borrow toys, games and videos from playroom or play area but please return them when your child has finished with them.
Play in other areas
Play staff will support children and their families in other areas were children are seen such as X-Ray, plaster room, during blood tests and during scans.
Play and pain
Play staff will support your child throughout blood tests using distraction. Play staff can offer ideas on how to cope with painful procedures using play therapy and relaxation. We work closely with children’s nurses and other professions within the hospital to overcome anxiety and pain.