For our Spotlight on Staff series, eighteen-year-old Olina puts some questions to one of our Coproduction Champions, Sarah. They talk about why the parent voice is so important, food in hospital, and why dogs often provide the best therapy. You can watch the video or read the transcription, below.
Olina puts some questions to Coproduction Champions, Sarah
Link: https://youtu.be/4GeDUmUoOAQ
Why did you want to become a parent champion and what does that mean?
I wanted to become a parent Champion because I've had two daughters in hospital - one in the cancer ward and one on the mental health unit. I wanted to be able to make a difference and help with the development of a new hospital that would be even better than the experience we've already had. Being a parent Champion means that I am literally championing the process of developing an even better and more unique service, which is exactly what we're hoping for with the Cambridge Children's Hospital.
What have you found exciting about the Cambridge Children's Hospital project and what have you found challenging?
What's exciting about the project is it being a whole new way of looking at healthcare, integrating healthcare, and making it a whole joined up picture. Working with a large group of people from different backgrounds, and developing something unique, can be very challenging at times. As a parent with some good and some difficult experiences, sometimes talking about those experiences can trigger some not so happy memories and that that can be very emotional, but it also brings the project to life as these are real experiences that people have had. Sharing those experiences can help people develop a much more supportive way of moving forwards with the hospital project.
Why do you think it's important for people with lived experience to have input on the project?
Only through living the experience can one fully understand what it's like to be on a ward for a short or long period of time; understand the workings of a hospital; and know what has worked well and perhaps what could work better. By feeding that information in and advocating for other people who aren't able to be a voice, I think it's incredibly important.
Why is food going to be so important at the Cambridge Children's Hospital?
Food is important because it is nourishment and helps healing. It brings people together to embrace cultures and diversity. It allows for choice and control. Staff also need to be fed well in order to be strong and able to look after our young people. Food is important to everybody who takes part in the Cambridge Children's Hospital. Families need to be able to share food with their children or have some privacy with their children surrounding food, so it's an area that's very important.
What makes your dog Basil a great therapy dog?
Basil is a Pets as Therapy dog which means that he visits people in hospital. His ears are just the softest! He's a really gentle soul who comes and helps people to feel a little bit of normality. If you're missing your pet, there's nothing better than seeing Basil, having something to cuddle, something to remind you that it's okay to feel a bit poorly and to improve how you're feeling by having a little bit of love from an animal. I really hope that we'll have Pets as Therapy dogs visiting the new children's hospital.