A new accessible bathtub is making a big difference for young patients on Ward 1a at The Great North Children’s Hospital, thanks to the generous support of Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
The tub means children and young people who require reasonable adjustments can now enjoy bathtime during their stay in hospital.
“When you work on a ward as special as Ward 1a, you want to give everything to your families,” said play specialist, Tracey Gothard.
“We take having a bath and getting clean for granted during a stay in hospital. Some of our patients require reasonable adjustments, and the only way to do this safely was to bathe them in bed.
“Our patients can sometimes be on the ward for six-months to a year. To be able to offer them a simple enjoyment of a bath is amazing.”
The ward’s dedication to providing this facility to patients was recently fulfilled thanks funding from Newcastle Hospitals Charity and support from estates and facilities colleagues.
To celebrate the new facility, Tracey held her very own bath party, saying: “I wanted to celebrate the opening of this new facility as it is so important to our patients and families. I filled the tub with balloons and invited Sir Jim, our chief executive, to the grand opening to cut the ribbon!”
Katie Purvis’ five-year-old daughter, Sierra, is a frequent visitor to the ward, and said: “Sierra was so excited to use the new bath on ward 1a, as she loves her bath at home.
“It was a real miss for her as she was in hospital for a long time. Little things like this mean a lot for children in hospital as they miss their home comforts, and it made her feel really relaxed having a bath when she had been upset or unwell.
“Tracey and her ward worked really hard getting this bath for their patients and should be really proud of themselves for all the hard work they achieved.”
Darren Castle-Beal, Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s engagement and impact officer, added: “We are absolutely delighted that our supporters have enabled us to fund this important facility.
“It’s heartening to see that it’s already making a positive difference at The Great North Children’s Hospital.
“Supporting projects like this one is so important to the charity because we know how much difference they make for patients – that’s what we’re here for!”
