Children and young people being treated in the Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital will be given activity packs to help them through potentially stressful visits.

Age-specific activity packs, along with packs of bubble and stickers, are being used as both a distraction and a reward for children during and after treatments, such as getting an X-ray or having blood taken.

The packs were kindly donated by the Friends of Forth Valley Royal Hospital – a voluntary group of local volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to raising funds for the benefit of patients throughout the hospital.

Bob Ness, Chairman of the Friends of Forth Valley Royal Hospital, said:

 Our main aim is to provide amenities and comforts for patients, their relatives and staff which have not been provided by the NHS.  This can be anything from reading materials to specialised equipment for specific conditions or injuries. We depend on the generosity of the general public and the more money we raise the more we can spend in our hospital to improve the stay of the patients and make the staff’s job easier.

“The Friends were delighted to help with a request to source  ‘distraction kits’ such as colouring books, crayons and bubbles for children along with soduku puzzles and crosswords for adults. Visits to the Emergency Department can be difficult and anything we can do to make the experience happier and less stressful is money well spent as far as the Friends are concerned.”

Senior Charge Nurse for the Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Glynis Fotheringham explains:

 We were keen to get something to give to the children who attend the department which would act as a distraction to them while they wait for an assessment. Patient experience is important to us and these books will help keep the children amused and in turn reduce the parents’ stress levels. This should then make the whole experience less traumatic for both the child and their parents.”

Dr Roger Alcock, Emergency Medicine Consultant at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, thanked the Friends of Forth Valley Royal Hospital on behalf of the Emergency Department: He said:

 “This is a fantastic donation which will help to improve the overall experience for children and young people attending the Emergency Department, whether they are ill or injured.  The ‘bubble bottles’ are brilliant for distracting children when they are experiencing painful or unpleasant procedures like blood tests and dressing changes, and the great thing is they fit in a staff member’s pocket, so the bubbles can be used anywhere from the waiting room to the resuscitation area.  We look forward to working in partnership with the Friends of Forth Valley Royal Hospital and Artlink Central to further improve services and facilities within the Department.”

NHS Forth Valley Charitable Arts and Wellbeing Coordinator Babs McCool pointed out that the packs are important to the overall hospital experience for children: She explained:

 Play is taken very seriously in our Emergency Department and can make the difference between a really bad and really not so bad experience for children and their parents and carers. Procedures take time and these activity kits donated by the Friends will help keep boredom at bay and keep kids’ spirits up.  It’s also heartening for staff to see the results of the Friends’ fundraising efforts and the difference these activity packs make to patients and their families.”