Patients at Sheffield Children’s will soon have a bigger brighter space for their treatment for cancer, leukaemia and blood disorders, as work gets underway to transform their ward.
The ward is being funded through generous donations to The Children’s Hospital Charity, who have until November to fully fund the project. It is part of a wider ambition to give every single child outstanding care in excellent facilities.
To allow work to get underway, the existing ward moved into a new space in the hospital this week – from Ward 6 to Ward 7.
Ruth Brown, Acting Chief Executive of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re so excited to get started on transforming this ward. The children who need Ward 6 often need to stay with us a long time – sometimes more than a year – so the environment makes so much difference to them. We already have amazing colleagues supporting children and their families and this work will bring the space and facilities to the same high standard.
“We are so grateful to the charity and its supporters for helping us get this work underway y and together we hope to finish fundraising for the ward this year.
“We’ve already got some fantastic environments at Sheffield Children’s, like the three new wards and Outpatient Dept we opened in 2018 and the Safeguarding Support Unit we opened in 2019. Combined with our plans for the future such as the redevelopment of the Emergency Department and construction of a helipad, we are well on our way to achieving our ambition of outstanding patient care for all.”
The new ward has significance for families far beyond Sheffield. It is the Principal Treatment Centre for children with cancer and leukaemia from babies through to 19-year-olds within South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Derbyshire. Patients travel from as far south as Northampton for treatment.
As well as a larger, brighter space, there will be a bigger and better playroom situated in the heart of the ward. It will maximise the view of Weston Park, making patients feel connected to the outside whilst they are getting better. There will also be improved spaces for parents to stay with their children. Other features include improved storage and space for computer workstations, specialised visual aids and multimedia equipment and more space to accommodate patients with or without walking aids, in a wheelchair or requiring assistance.
Dr Dan Yeomanson, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital added: “It is really exciting to see work now underway. I am really proud of the care we deliver on Ward 6, but this appeal is about the patient experience and that’s why the charity funding is so important.
“The NHS provides a level of kit and specification which is effective, and The Children’s Hospital Charity’s support will allow us transform the whole department, improving families’ experience of the care, and help make an extremely stressful time easier to manage.”
The ward is being funded through generous donations from families, individuals, organisations and Trusts to The Children’s Hospital Charity, who have until November to fully fund the project. The Bears of Sheffield sculpture trail, in particular the Bears auction, will play a key role in reaching the final £2.75 million target. PACT are also supporting the project by fundraising towards the Parent room on the new ward.
For many of our families, home is wherever their child is, and the move allows us to create a new home which caters for all ages and will help some of our most vulnerable children in our society.
The work is an important part of the Trust’s 5-year Caring Together Strategy and its three aims: to offer outstanding patient care, be a brilliant place to work, and be a leader in children’s health.
Other improvements across Sheffield Children’s include plans for a new helipad to help bring patients directly to the hospital site, a larger and improved Emergency Department with more spaces for the most critically ill children and a new aseptic suite for the preparation of medications.
The Children’s Hospital Charity’s Build it Better capital appeal is set to raise £14.25 million through charitable donations, which has already seen the Safeguarding Support Unit open in 2019 following the first donation of £850,000.
For more information on the Sheffield Children’s Caring Together Strategy, visit www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/about-us/caring-together/
For more information on The Children’s Hospital Charity’s appeal to support these improvements, visit: www.tchc.org.uk/our-impact/projects/ There are a range of ways to support the appeal. You can even sponsor a room on the ward! www.tchc.org.uk/appeal/cancer-ward/sponsor-a-room.html