Features
How to make a Surgery Child-friendly
Case Study Whitle House Surgery
An enclosed play area in the waiting room is keeping children occupied at the Whitley House Surgery in Chelmsford, Essex. The kit provided includes a table with beads to move on fixed wires and a box of plastic bricks (similar to Lego) and books. Each consulting room also has a beads-and-wires table and box of bricks. Shops in Chelmsford donated all the toys and books.
The play area is a safe environment as it is away from the surgery entrance and visible from reception. Receptionists are able to ensure that children do not wander off when parents are not watching. "We always have to be careful about children running out," says one of the partners Dr Elizabeth Towers.
She adds that parents are often preoccupied when they come to the surgery.
Dr Towers says that the surgery's facilities for keeping children occupied are a big improvement on those at the premises the practice occupied four years ago. There, the children's area was a small space under the stairs and sometimes a child would stray into the path of a patient. "For the health and safety point of view, it was quite dangerous," says Dr Towers. "Whereas here we have a self contained unit , so we don't have to worry that patients are going to fall over toys." or Children.
Making a Surgery child-friendly is good for your patients, their parents and other patients. According to the results of patent surveys by Islington PCT in North London. This prompted the PCT to send out guidance to local practices about how to keep children happy at the surgery.
- Give Children their own space
- Consider age, gender and language
- Ask staff and parents to help
- Choose appropriate toys
- Look after toys and books
Taken from an article from GP newspaper
