Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire visit to Kettering General Hospital

In July 2016 two Young Healthwatch volunteers visited Skylark Ward1 (the children’s ward) at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) in order to give feedback to the hospital about this ward from the perspective of young people. This piece of work was suggested by the Young Healthwatch group at a workshop in 2015 as part of their work plan. This is the first time that young people have reported their observations of a general hospital children’s ward in Northamptonshire. Healthwatch Northamptonshire staff accompanied the young people on the visit and training was provided to prepare the volunteers. This report has been written by Young Healthwatch volunteers in their own words and expresses their own opinions. It is based on their own observations and those of the people they spoke to – one child and one teenager using the sensory room and the parents of a baby. The content has not been altered by either Healthwatch Northamptonshire or Kettering General Hospital except for clarification where noted.

The overall impression from the visit was positive. The environment was felt to be welcoming and safe and there was a good range of activities to entertain children of all ages. The staff appeared calm and the use of things like therapy dogs and bravery gifts gave the sense of a caring environment. There were a few minor concerns about safety, such as unlocked cupboards, and it was felt it was a shame that the hospital did not have the facilities to care for young long term cancer patients or those needing intensive care. Many of the things pointed out by the young people could have been observed by adults but others, such as how medical equipment can look scary and the size or the print on posters, add a valuable perspective. We hope that this work can be followed by similar visits to other wards, hospitals and children’s services.