What is a Hospital Play Specialist?

In June 1998 Debbie qualified as a Hospital Play Specialist in the UK.

As a Hospital Play Specialist, she'd use the power of Play and Creative/Expressive therapies to support Children, Young People and families undergoing treatments. Her experience in hospitals settings at that time were in the specialist fields Oncology (cancer), Cardio Thoracic (Heart & Lung), Intensive Care and Outpatients.

In 1966 an OMEP working party concluded that unrestricted visiting and generous arrangements for play must be organised in hospital. Susan Harvey, a Save the Children Fund adviser, stated that “Deprived of play, the child is a prisoner, shut off from all that makes life real and meaningful.’ In writing this, she (1972) was expressing a view held by many educationalists and psychologists over the years.

Providing a child or young person with toys and space for generalised play alleviates fears and anxiety regarding the hospitalisation.

There were so many times Debbie would bring dolls home to adapt them for a certain treatment: Hickman lines, Long Lines, Hair Loss, Transplants, Blood tests, amputations etc..

Hospital Play Specialists use play to Prepare children and Youth for a procedure (Preparation Play) they use play to distract them from procedures (Distraction Play) and allows them to discuss the procedure afterwards in a ‘safe’ way, in a way the children/youth know best (Post Procedural Play).  A lot of the play is ‘directed’ and planned by the play specialist and is age/developmentally appropriate.   

Puppetry, Storytelling, Clay, Sand, Drawing, Play, Games and Activities that enable relaxation too during procedures such as breathing techniques (bubbles, feathers, Windmills etc) are all things that can support a child/young person.

The first hospital play schemes were established in UK - 1957 at St Bartholomew’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, followed by the Brook Hospital in 1963.

The 1960’s saw the use of ‘Play’ coming into hospitals in New Zealand, Greenlane (Auckland) was the first hospital to have a supervised play programme.

History of Hospital Play - Hospital Play Specialists of New Zealand

https://hospitalplay.org.nz

In the UK Debbie took her role as Hospital Play Specialist out of the hospital and into the community, becoming the first Community Hospital Play Specialist in UK. Working for the Community Princess Diana Team. Supporting Children & Youth (Age One through til 19 years of age) at their homes and in the community that were affected by a Terminal illness either in the palliative or dying stage of their illness. All of the time using play and creative expressive activities allowing them to talk (through play) about their illness.

She felt very honoured to be supporting children, youth and families through the dying process and for the families post death through their grief.

Hospital Play Specialists are in most hospitals where there is a children’s ward. Naturally they can be found at Star Ship Hospital (Auckland). Within NZ there is an Hospital Play Specialist Association.

Hospital Play Specialists of New Zealand - Hospital Play Specialists Association of Aotearoa New Zealand  https://hospitalplay.org.nz

Our Mission is to:

Promote coping and play throughout our communities.

We believe that this will be achieved by using specialised therapeutic strategies to support children, young people and their families while they are in hospital.

If your child/young person is due to go into hospital for a procedure, small or large don’t hesitate to contact the ward and ask to speak to a Hospital Play Specialist. Often, they can arrange to see you and your child before the hospital admission to prepare them for the procedure and provide you with ideas to continue the support at home. They will be able to use ‘words;’ and descriptions about the procedure in a way that your child/young person and you will be able to understand.

They can then, after discussing with yourself, support your child/young person with the admission. They can develop a programme tailored to meet the individual needs of your child. They can find ways of helping support you all through the procedure.

Following the procedure, they will be able to use play (Post Procedural Play) as a way of allowing your child/young person to express their feelings. This helps them and you understand how the procedures was for them, it allows them to relieve any anxiety, feelings and emotions associated with it and can often help and support them with future admissions.