We have staff doing a wide range of roles in our Trust and they all contribute to great patient care. There are some jobs you might immediately think of and some you might not be familiar with.

Abbi Spurdle is a play specialist in our children’s Emergency Department. In her blog, she explains the important role her team have in helping children, who might be anxious or worried, cope with and understand what is happening with their care:

“I am happy to say I joined Queen’s Hospital in June to work in the children’s Emergency Department and set up a play specialist service. I have also worked at the Whittington for a few years and I spent five years at the Royal Free where I completed my play specialist training.

Many people are unaware of the play specialist role and what it involves. Sometimes, colleagues think I play all day! In reality, play specialists in the NHS have a vast knowledge of child development and use therapeutic play activities to help children cope and understand what is happening when in hospital.

To become a play specialist you need a foundation degree in a healthcare play specialism and then you can register with the Healthcare Play Specialist Education Trust (HPSET). This is a two-year, part-time course with one day a week in a hospital placement being mentored by a qualified and registered play specialist. The courses are a mix of practical work and theory. 

Since starting at our Trust, I have found everyone very friendly and welcoming. In the children’s Emergency Department some great teaching is on offer and I have had plenty of opportunities to learn. The daily, all staff emails are a great idea and very informative. The free car parking has been very helpful and reduces stress when coming to work. 

Covid-19 has changed the type of play that can be offered in healthcare settings. To overcome this, and keep children entertained whilst in the department, I have been making individual play packs for different age ranges. These are then taken home by children and young people and we have had some great feedback. The play team from Tropical Lagoon have also shared resources.

Through the hospital charity we have obtained two iPads that were kindly donated by a family and we use one for specialised play, distraction and preparation. Some other smaller devices were given to the Trust and children can borrow these. A hospital is such a strange environment for young people and having something familiar helps reduce stress and can calm them. The charity has helped provide storage and lots of toys, pens, crayons, playdoh, stickers and colouring resources to make play packs for the children to use and take home. There is also a PlayStation 3 which is popular with older children. Charities that work specifically with children in hospitals have also been very generous.

Children and young people who come to hospital can be worried and anxious especially when they come to the Emergency Department. Play is a way of building rapport and trust. This helps children and young people communicate more easily about what is wrong with them. They may not understand what is happening to them and parents are often worried. As a play specialist we are able to give age and developmentally appropriate explanations of what is happening and why. This can be through play, social stories, pictures, videos, and the use of medical equipment.

Another part of the role is preparing children for procedures and distracting them throughout. Preparation is important to be able to explain any misconceptions the child/young person may have. Distraction helps by enabling them not to focus on the procedure.

Play is vital for children and it is also a way of letting them express themselves and work through their emotions. Last month, I provided over 300 interactions in the children’s Emergency Department.

I use Twitter and Instagram to promote my health play specialist role. I can be found at @playinnhs.”