Children and young people admitted to Torbay Hospital are set to benefit from new equipment and aids to support emotional wellbeing.
Dr James Dearden, paediatric consultant and Torbay paediatric mental health lead, said: “We know that being in hospital can be tough for children and young people, especially if they have neurodiversity or experience emotional distress.
“By providing patients with access to items such as weighted blankets, a ‘magic carpet’ interactive floor projector, YoTo players and other audio visual, tactile and sensory equipment we can reduce their stress, improve their wellbeing and give them a better experience of being in hospital.”
James and his colleagues also aim to work together to improve the lives of local children and young people.
Emma Perryman, paediatric sister, said: “Children and young people in Torbay and South Devon face big challenges.
“The more we can do now, to improve their health and wellbeing, the bigger difference it will have for their future.
“The World Health Organisation calls this the triple dividend – improving health now, building better health for adulthood and contributing to the health of future generations.”
Emma, who has recently completed the child and young person with mental health needs degree course at the University of Plymouth, added: “I feel passionately that the mental health needs of our children and young people are equally important as their physical health needs.
“We are working to improve the training we offer our staff to reflect this – it is a good start but we know we have much more to do.”
James and Emma launched a paediatric mental health network in February 2022 to share good practice, explore ideas for improvements and provide peer support and training.
They’ve also set up local networks with colleagues from children’s social care, child and adolescent mental health services and local schools to work together to raise awareness of issues affecting children and young people, provide education and support, and to work towards a culture change that ensures parity of esteem for physical and mental health.
James became Torbay and South Devon’s paediatric mental health lead last summer and on 30 March 2022 took part in a webinar with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, talking about the role that paediatricians can play in supporting children and young people’s mental health and the opportunities that the mental health lead roles offer for paediatrics.
The Child Health team at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has also been successful in securing a place in October 2022 on the roll out of the national Health Education England for ‘We Can Talk’ training programme, a crisis mental health training package for staff in acute hospitals. The training will add to their plan around improving our mental health support to children and young people who are admitted to hospital.