Health Play Specialists play an important role in helping children and young people navigate Leeds Congenital Heart Unit services. By using play as their primary tool, they make medical environments less intimidating, provide emotional support, and help children cope with the stress of medical procedures or long-term care.
Their work isn’t just about distraction; it’s also about education, preparation, and emotional well-being. For example, they might use role play or medical toys to help a child understand an upcoming procedure, which can reduce anxiety and empower them to feel more in control. Our Play Specialists provide a seven-day service which means there will always be someone to support your child during their hospital stay.
Inpatient/Outpatient Joint Work
The Play Specialist and Psychology Teams often work together to support you and your child. This can involve joint work around a specific difficulty on the ward or as an outpatient where Play and Psychology both have a role. Sometimes it could be part of preparing you and your child for a surgical admission. If you are working with the Play Specialist or the Psychology team and they feel that some joint work would be useful then they will discuss this with you before making a referral.
Surgical Preparation Clinic
We have a joint Psychology and Play-led Surgical Preparation Clinic which is offered to patients and families who are on the surgical pathway and could benefit from this support.
These are usually one-off sessions which share information and look at existing anxieties around procedures and coping strategies using play and talking. Children and young people aged 4-16 years usually benefit the most from this.
If families find coming back to this session difficult or are unable to access a session due to short notice surgery or a change in plans, we can provide ‘Prep at Home’ packs which offer guidance and support to parents to think about how they can use both talking and play to prepare their child at home. We also have a pack for older children and teenagers who may be more involved in their own preparation.
Referral to the Play Service
You can request Play Specialist input for your child by emailing: [email protected]. Requests are reviewed and you will be contacted to discuss further if appropriate.
Alternatively, other members of the team such as Clinical Nurse Specialists might refer you and your child into the service and they will discuss this with you.
Online Play resources
More information about the Leeds Children’s Hospital Play Service can be found on the team’s webpages.
Leeds Children’s Hospital TV (LCHTV) has a collection of videos relating to play in hospital and some specific resources for Congenital Heart Disease patients.
Download Prep at Home booklets here: