Hospital Life October 2010 - Barking Havering and Redbridge ...

Playing’s good for healthChildren’s specialists at ourhospitals have been promotingthe importance of play.‘Play in Hospitals Week’ was markedat Queen’s with a special exhibitionled by Play Specialists Lyn Clark andAlison Stephen.The pair showed visitors what theydo to entertain and engage withyoung patients – and how importantthat is to their treatment.Play Specialists are based on ourchildren’s wards and children’soutpatients department.Lyn said: “We want to make theirtime in hospital as happy as possible.Through play and activities we canhelp to speed their recovery.“It also allows children to assimilatenew information, adjust to and gaincontrol over a potentially frighteningenvironment and prepare to copewith procedures.”Lyn added: “We work closely with allthe health professionals and providethe children with a great variety ofplay and activities. We find they arehappier and more relaxed when theyare able to play games, stick, paintand so many more things.“We also work closely with families,making the stay in hospital a goodtime to share in child’s play. Many atime an adult has said how relaxingcolouring in or model-making canbe.”The importance of play in helpingchildren to relax and heal isrecognised across the world.A spokesperson for the Departmentof Health said: “There is evidencethat play hastens recovery as well asreducing the need for interventionsto be delivered under generalanaesthesia.”The displays to mark Play in HospitalsWeek included painting and designsput together by patients on thechildren’s ward at Queen’s, TropicalLagoon.• Pictured are Play Specialists AlisonStephen and Lyn ClarkO C T O B E R 2 0 1 07