Milton Keynes Hospital Charity are excited to announce the purchase of a new piece of technology to help babies and children receiving treatment in the Emergency Department.
Many children and young people coming to the emergency department at Milton Keynes University Hospital find the visit challenging, uncomfortable or distressing. Being assessed and treated by the team can result in young patients becoming anxious, crying, shouting, or physically resisting staff. This is not only distressing for them, but also for parents and carers, and staff attempting to carry out treatment or consultations.
Distraction and play are used by teams to support children and young people and can make a huge difference to patients undergoing procedures or tests. The new distraction machine purchased with charitable funds is a dedicated 3D Distraction Machine that can be used for babies, children or teenagers who need to visit the Paediatric Emergency Department.
The Paediatric Emergency team at the hospital saw the high-tech piece of kit at a medical conference last year and set about raising the £11,000 needed to purchase it.
Last year they raised £11,000 to purchase the device and have already used it on multiple young patients coming through the Emergency Department.
Sister/Charge Nurse Bacardi Cranston and her colleague Claire Norton-Petford, who both treat patients in the department and led the fundraising efforts, told us about the impact the machine has had so far.
“We have already used the distraction machine on a 7-year-old boy with a phobia of needles. It was incredible to see him happily play a game whilst we were able to insert a cannula needed for treatment.”
“We also used the same game for an 11-year-old girl who required stiches to her head. She played with the games on the machine and was surprised when the stitches were done as she had been focussed on playing rather than the procedure.”
