My WiSH Charity supports new play role for young patients

Young patients coming in to the emergency department (ED) at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust are now being cared for with the help of registered play specialist Claire Thompson.

Claire joined the Trust last month after the My WiSH Charity raised the funds to support her post for two years. Claire works with children up to age of 16, and while she is based in the ED, she also attends patients in the neonatal unit or day surgery. “I am happy to support patients in any paediatric area,” she said.

Claire described the main focus of her role as preparing children for procedures such as imaging, blood tests and theatre, helping them to deal with anxiety or worries. “It’s also mythbusting,” said Claire. “Children have radar ears and can pick up all sorts of fears about things like needles or the MRI. Their families can bring preconceptions which they pass on to the patient, and siblings can also be anxious, so it is important to take a holistic approach.”

Play specialists, she said, often get comments about being all about bubbles. “Bubbles are great,” said Claire with a smile, “but it’s much more than that. Normalising play helps children, even really small ones, understand what is going to happen. I want to bolster the morale of children facing treatment or investigation, and help them to feel strong.

“Children are so individual, you have to adapt to their needs,” she continued. “Some want to know every detail, and watch everything that happens. Others don’t want to see anything so I use books like Where’s Wally or I-spy books that divert their attention and act as a great distraction, sometimes to distort or block the view of the procedure they are having. I also use sensory tools such as things that light up and that’s where the bubbles can come in!”

Claire practised at both East Anglian Children’s Hospice (EACH) and Addenbrooke’s ED before joining West Suffolk Hospital, which is her local hospital. “The hospice was very inspiring, and involved lots of focus on the journey and making memories but I really love the fast and furious nature of ED, having to think on my feet.”

Claire initially qualified as a Nursery Nurse in 1999. She explained that to qualify as a play specialist and register with the Healthcare Play Specialist Education Trust (HPSET) it takes a minimum of five years. This includes at least a level 3 qualification in childcare or similar; two years post-qualification experience working with children; then the completion of the HPSET training; which is a two-year foundation degree, with a minimum of 200 hours per year working in a hospital setting if not already employed by a hospital.

My WiSH Charity continues to raise funds for Claire’s post with their #25 Appeal which aims to raise £25,000. Claire is also hoping to expand the resources she can access to help with her work. “It’s taken me five years to get here, and I want to show the value I can bring to the care of young patients. Manging children’s anxiety, and helping them to understand the care they are being given, brings real benefits.”

Head of fundraising for My WiSH Charity, Sue Smith said, “We are delighted to be able to support the hospital in providing a play specialist. This is a wonderful service for the little patients in our care, and hopefully this in turn helps to reduce the anxiety of parents and carers alike. We have already had amazing feedback from families saying how much they have appreciated the support that Claire provides, and that their children don’t actually want to leave the hospital, I think this speaks volumes as to how good Claire is, we are very lucky to have her.”

To donate to the #25 Appeal please visit www.mywishcharity.co.uk.