Charity appeal launched to help youngsters at Luton and Dunstable Hospital

The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity is launching four appeals totalling £204,000 for equipment, a play specialist and a special room for the youngsters.

Three of the appeals will benefit patients attending the Emergency Department (ED), and the other will support acutely ill children on the Paediatric ward.

The L&D’s Paediatric Department is one of the busiest in the area and each year, around 150 inpatient children require specialist intensive care on the ward.

The charity is supporting clinical teams to raise funds to redevelop and refurbish an existing treatment room to create a new resuscitation and stabilisation room on the Paediatric ward to provide a dedicated, spacious area which can accommodate a larger multi-disciplinary team who will have immediate access to specialist equipment.

It is also fundraising for two “take anywhere” Point of Care Ultrasound Scanners (POCUS). These portable scanners, which are battery operated, so can be moved easily round the department, will enable quicker diagnostics for emergency patients presenting with life threatening conditions within the Emergency Department.

The POCUS is also able to provide treatments such as cannulation, administering drips, fluids, anaesthesia and nerve blocks. The new ultrasound scanners will also make diagnosing and treating our child patients easier due to smaller and more portable paddles.

Having a Play Specialist located in Paediatric ED will greatly improve the experience for younger patients and their families in what can be a very scary environment, particularly when tests and treatments are being carried out. Reducing anxiety and stress is really important so that the patient can be examined and treated efficiently.

Redesigning the ED Paediatric environment so that it is a more welcoming and friendly place for children will greatly improve their experience of being in the ED. The project will include buying state of the art sensory items, light boxes, iPads as well as buying more basic items like better seating for both patients and their families.

For more information on all these appeals please visit the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity web pages http://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/charity/