Thanks to your valuable support, children and young people attending Nottingham Children’s Hospital are able to receive complementary therapy services not usually provided on the NHS.
The complementary therapy service, funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity, is available for all young patients at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, providing them with symptomatic pain relief and improving their quality of life. The patient-centred therapies, offered by Nurse Specialist Virginia (Ginny) McGivern, include massage, baby massage instruction and guided imagery – a type of focused relaxation.
For children whose life is affected by illness or disease, the therapies provide much-needed relief from discomfort due to the side effects of chemotherapy or post-operative pain. Patients suffering from neurological disorders, anxiety-related illnesses, complex pain disorders and many other conditions also benefit from the service.
The service, which has been funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity since 2006, was one of the first of its kind in the UK. It receives a large amount of positive feedback from patients, their families and staff at the hospital, to such an extent that the service has become an integral part of the patient care pathway.
The therapy sessions provide a positive focus for young patients to look forward to, at a time when they may be experiencing increased stress or anxiety about being in hospital.
The mum of one patient who has benefited from the service said: “My ten-year-old son, Freddie, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in July 2022. He hated being in the hospital until he met with Virginia.
“Virginia has provided support to Freddie not only with her therapies, but also by being there for him to talk to, as he is very shy. She seems to being Freddie out of his shell, and he loves to visit her. He has taken her advice and even set up a therapy corner in his bedroom, with aromatherapy, lava lamps, etc, so he can practice calming techniques.
“Virginia is a star, and the service she provides is unique and greatly appreciated.”