Skip to main content

Specialist play

Available locations:

Play specialists are part of multi-disciplinary team specialising in normal and therapeutic play for infants, children and young people both inpatients and outpatients of the hospital.

The play department’s aim is to assist in the creation of a welcoming, caring and safe family centred environment by providing play facilities appropriate to the needs of the patients and their families.

Each team comprises play specialists and play assistants who provide normal and specialised play.

Contact us

To find out more about this service please contact

Our services

Our primary focus is to provide

  • Normalising Play – provided to children to give much needed breaks from medical procedures.
  • Therapeutic Play - purposeful play lead by the HPS that gives patients an opportunity to explore their hospital experiences and can give daily routine or structure to their day.
  • Preparation - is a technique used by the HPS to prepare children prior to their hospital admission or on the day of admission.
  • Distraction - works well with children and parents. Methods used are lights, sounds, blowing bubbles and texture toys to help distract children during medical procedures.
  • Post Procedural Play - is a fun way to engage with children in a non-invasive way regarding their hospital experiences, using messy play and incorporating medical equipment while giving them a chance to express themselves in a safe environment.

Additional information

Find out more

Page contents

On this page you will find information about:

Referral information

The play specialist works on a referrals basis with infants, children and young people to help prepare them for hospital procedures like having an anaesthetic or a blood test.

Referrals for specialised play can be made by contacting each department directly or through their medical team.

For healthcare professionals

General information

Share this page

Sign up for our newsletter