A rainbow floor and animated artwork on the walls are among the attention-grabbing features set to entertain young patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead after the children's unit there underwent a makeover.
Thanks to the NHS trust's charity - QE Charitable Funds - illustrations from young prize-winners now adorn the walls, while there is new furniture and a TV in the waiting area. This comes as more work gets underway at the hospital to build a new maternity theatre and improve special care baby unit facilities.
In the paediatric unit, the winners of a competition among the borough's schoolchildren now have their pictures on the wall, while there have also been a range of improvements to ensure that the department is more accessible to those with disabilities. This includes a brand new sensory room designed to help young patients with complex needs during their stay in hospital.
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The hospital's paediatrics clinical lead Susanne Wolny said: "As a rapidly expanding department treating more and more children with complex needs and disabilities, we are delighted to offer them more disability friendly access and essential adjustments to consultation rooms including our extremely well-received new sensory room.
"The department feels fresh, inviting and calm." Susanne added that a revamped teaching area had also had positive feedback from medical students. But among the young patients, according to admin manager Leona Parkinson, one element of the redesign stands out.
She said: "The rainbow flooring has been the biggest success of the renovation and the children really love it. It is wonderful to see the animated drawings along our corridors which have been designed with small quotes that are placed at toddler height so children can follow them from the entrance all the way to the waiting area."
The Gateshead Health NHS Trust which runs the hospital has also provided an update on the work to expand maternity services. Work is well underway to create a second theatre in the maternity and add new parent and staff facilities in the special care baby unit.
Kate Hewitson, a manager within the obstetrics and gynaecology service at the QE, said "We are delighted to have finally started the work on the maternity unit here at the Trust. The new addition to maternity will allow us to safely manage the increasing number of operations required, as well as reducing on the day delays for mothers waiting for planned caesarean sections.
"The ongoing work will have a huge impact on the care we can provide to expectant parents as well as providing our staff with new, state-of-the-art facilities."
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