Southampton Children’s Hospital

14/11/2025

Last week we had a very special visitor when Pudsey Bear dropped in 💛

Pudsey visited all seven of our wards, spreading joy with hugs 🤗, high-fives 🙌 and tasty treats 🧁 for our excited patients.

Lucia Lazzeri-Ford, child health matron, Southampton Children's Hospital, said: “We were delighted to welcome Pudsey Bear to our children’s hospital last week – a visit that brought so much joy to our young patients, their families, and staff.”

A huge thank you to Templeton Place Care Home in Nursling for making the visit possible 🙏

🔗 Find out more: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/whats-new/press-releases/surprise-pudsey-bear-visit-brings-smiles-to-southampton-childrens-hospital

07/11/2025

This Youth Work Week we congratulate our amazing senior youth worker Kerry Franklin, who was recently recognised as Paediatric Allied Health Professional of the Year at the Wessex Paediatric Awards for Training Achievements (PAFTAs) 🏆

Kerry supports young major trauma patients aged 11–25, helping them access lifestyle support, explore education or career opportunities and get involved in community activities.

She was also nominated as Special Person in Paediatrics for supporting young major trauma patients after a traumatic event in the local community event during the summer.

“It’s very rewarding to see patients thrive or make changes to improve their situation after such a traumatic event, or life changing injury,” says Kerry.

“Without the support from UHS to pilot our projects, the success of youth work in hospitals and the improved outcomes for young people would not be as valued as it is today, not just here at UHS, but to all the hospitals and youth workers in this profession nationally.

"I am proud that UHS and the PEEER Youth Service is leading the way in this innovative model of youth work in hospitals.”

Well done Kerry — your work is truly inspiring 👏


Southampton Children's Hospital PEEER Youth Project

06/11/2025

It’s National Pathology Week and Harvey's Lab Tours are sparking curiosity and inspiring the next generation of pathologists and biomedical scientists 🔬

These hands-on tours help our young patients feel more at ease by connecting them with the incredible biomedical science staff who process and analyse their samples to diagnose and manage illnesses.

Patients get to tour our real labs, meet biomedical scientists and take part in fun, interactive experiments.

Recently five-year-old Arthur and six-year-old Kareem had a tour, exploring:
🧪 Biochemistry – learning how analysers detect changes in colour to identify substances in the blood.
🩸 Haematology – using modelling clay, they explored the shapes and structures of red blood cells, helping them understand red cell morphology.
🧬 Blood transfusion – discovering how reaction patterns are used to determine a patient’s blood group.

The tour was wrapped up with an ‘Emotions Volcano’ to help understand feelings around hospital visits 🌋

And siblings Aoife, Louis and Tomas got to tour the labs after travelling from Guernsey for an appointment — making their journey extra special and memorable 💙

Interested in Harvey’s Lab Tours?
👉 Learn more: https://www.ibms.org/resources/harveys-lab-tours/

06/11/2025

The new Sleep Buddy digital support is designed to help children with ADHD improve their sleep and researchers are now inviting families to test how well it works.

Find out more 👇

UHS is leading a groundbreaking trial of a digital support tool designed to help children with ADHD improve their sleep.

Developed by experts and parents, Sleep Buddy offers practical advice, sleep plans and guidance tailored to the unique challenges faced by children with ADHD.

📊 Almost two thirds of children with ADHD experience sleep problems. These include finding it hard to get to sleep at bedtime, waking in the night or waking up early in the morning.

🏥 Researchers UHS, the University of Southampton and Southampton Clinical Trials Unit have been working with parents and carers of children with ADHD to develop Sleep Buddy. Families are now being invited to help researchers test to how well Sleep Buddy works in a large trial.

🔗 Find out more: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/whats-new/press-releases/sleep-buddy-trial-aims-to-help-children-with-adhd-and-their-families

05/11/2025

It’s Youth Work Week and we’re celebrating the incredible impact of our youth workers both in the hospital and out in the community 💙

From working on the wards and in outpatient clinics to walk-and-talks in the community, our youth workers are there every step of the way. Through 1:1 support, they help young people navigate challenges, build confidence and take meaningful steps toward personal goals — whether that’s feeling more at ease in busy environments or engaging more with the world around them.

They also lead group activities that foster resilience, boost self-esteem and spark lasting friendships.

In hospital, youth workers offer support before, during, and after appointments — helping young people feel empowered, heard and confident in their care. It’s all about putting their voices at the centre of every decision.

Youth workers also receive referrals for targeted youth intervention, focusing on health education, personal development, wellbeing and transition. Their work enables young people to grow in independence and become active participants in their healthcare journey.

“Youth services have developed dramatically over the past eight years since I was appointed the first youth worker at UHS,” reflects Becky Cutler, PEEER cardiac youth yorker.

“The role was unknown to the staff and patients. Working with the multidisciplinary team, providing education on the role of a youth worker was vital to highlight the need for youth intervention.”

Today our PEEER youth workers are here to offer support to young people aged 11 to 25 years who have a long term condition. Working in partnership with Ready, Steady Go, PEEER now provides a dedicated and skilled team of youth workers, based in a variety of specialities throughout child health.

“I feel truly honoured to witness and support young people as they achieve goals that once felt out of reach or even impossible for them,” says Jasmine Hindle, PEEER youth worker, weight management.

“I get to help young people recognise their true potential and watch it grow beyond what they imagined. It’s a really special role and being trusted to be part of that journey is amazing.”

🙌 To all of our youth workers — thank you for your compassion, dedication and the difference you make every single day 👏

03/11/2025

Today marks the start of Occupational Therapy Week and we proudly celebrate the incredible work of our paediatric occupational therapists at Southampton Children’s Hospital 🎉

From helping children and young people build confidence in everyday tasks to supporting families through life-changing journeys, our OTs make a world of difference every single day 🙌

Their creativity, compassion and dedication empower our young patients to thrive — whether it’s through play, movement or tailored therapies that bring joy and independence 💜

THANK YOU to our amazing OT team 🙏

29/10/2025

Today 11-year-old Carmela Chillery-Watson kicked off her incredible charity walking challenge at Southampton Children’s Hospital 🌟

Carmela, who has congenital muscular dystrophy, is using all 657 affected muscles to take 6,570 steps in each of the hospitals where she has received care 💜

Her goal? To help create 657 dream experiences for others living with neuromuscular conditions, raising money for The Muscle Help Foundation.

This morning staff lined to the corridors of G level to support Carmela as she started her walking challenge.

After completing the first leg of the challenge, Carmela said: “Thank you (to SCH staff) for cheering me on for my walk,. I thought there wouldn’t be too many people coming, but there were so many, a very big surprise! It was incredible, you are amazing, keep doing what you’re doing.”

This is just the start of Carmela’s 24 hour challenge, as she will be walking around five hospitals that have supported her journey.

We’re cheering Carmela on every step of the way! 🎉👏

27/10/2025

This year marks 50 years of play being used to support children and young people in hospital settings.

Play in hospital is far more than just a way to pass the time — it’s a lifeline for young patients.

It supports their emotional wellbeing, helps them make sense of unfamiliar treatments and surroundings and plays a crucial part in their recovery journey.

Through play, children and young people can express themselves, build resilience and feel a sense of normality. It eases fear, reduces trauma and combats loneliness — transforming their hospital experience into one that can include joy, comfort and even happy memories.

Our play team are at the heart of helping children and young people to understand, cope with and feel more in control of their hospital experience 💖

The team includes:

💚 Play Specialists (green t-shirts) – using therapeutic play to help children process and cope with their hospital journey.

💜 Play Leaders (purple t-shirts) – bringing joy, creativity and a sense of normality to every hospital day.

This week for half term the team are coordinating a range of fun Halloween-related activities for children of all ages staying on our wards 🎃

17/10/2025

A new UK-wide trial led by UHS and primary care services is testing the nasal flu vaccine for one-year-olds.

Already used safely in older children, this needle-free option could make flu protection easier and more accessible.

If your child is 12–23 months and your GP is participating, you may be invited to join the FluSNIFF study.

Find out more 👇

A new UK-wide clinical trial led by UHS and primary care services is testing whether the nasal flu vaccine can be offered to one-year-old children.

The FluSNIFF study is inviting families to take part at 100 GP practices and three hospitals across the country.

Flu can be serious for young children, and this needle-free vaccine – already used safely in older children – could make protection easier and more accessible.

It could mean all one-year-olds get flu protection in future winters.

If your child is aged 12 to 23 months and your GP is participating, you may be invited to join the study.

🔗 Find out more: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/whats-new/press-releases/flu-vaccine-spray-trial-launches-for-children-aged-…

16/10/2025

🎉 Congratulations to volunteers at Radio Lollipop Southampton, who have been awarded a £5,000 grant from DIY chain Screwfix to refurbish their studio 🎙️

This will help them to redecorate the studio and install much-needed new flooring, cupboards and shelving 🛠️ 🧰

Radio Lollipop has supported thousands of children at Southampton Children’s Hospital over the past 31 years – providing colour, creativity and laughter at a time when many young patients and their families feel vulnerable and frightened 💜

📻 In addition to broadcasting a 24/7 sustaining programme, the team visit the children’s wards two nights a week equipped with puzzles, games, word searches, colouring competitions and crafts 🎨 🧩

“Our studio has been in desperate need of some TLC for a while now, and this grant will enable us to bring it right up to date,” says Tina Jones, Radio Lollipop Southampton trustee.

“The refurbishment should create a more professional first impression for the recruitment of volunteers and will be a real morale boost for our teams, who are already coming up with design ideas for how the space can be best used.”

“To help bring our plans to reality, we are keen to hear from any tradespeople or local businesses who might be kind enough to lend a hand with our project, which will make such a difference to everyone involved.”

📧 Anyone interested in helping to give the radio studio a new lease of life can email tina.jones@radiolollipop.org

10/10/2025

📺📻 Tune in to BBC South Today and BBC Radio Solent today to discover how we're transforming children's cardiac surgery with cutting-edge technology 💓

Thanks to the incredible support of Heartbeat and Axial3D, over 100 3D-printed heart models —created from real medical scans— are helping surgeons practise life-saving procedures before they enter the operating theatre.

🔗Find out more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj6xle69g5eo

09/10/2025

Chrissie Jones is leading vital research to better diagnose, treat and prevent infectious diseases in babies, children and young people.

Learn how her work is making a real difference 👇