Thanks to a further £19,000, Leeds Hospitals Charityis committed to its fifth year of funding to provide vital support for the Leeds Children’s Hospital TV network (LCHTV), a first of its kind in the UK. Leeds Hospitals Charity has committed over £68,000 of funding since its launch in 2015.

The funding awarded by Leeds Hospitals Charity means another 20 films can be produced for the website over the next year, which includes a brand-new series of Virtual Reality films. Young patients will now be able to see through VR technology where their treatment will happen and learn about the hospital before being admitted.

The network helps patients like Raine, aged 8, underwent a life-saving liver transplant in 2018 and decided to make a video about what her operation was like:

Created in 2015, the LCHTV network helps children and young adults who are admitted into hospital share their experiences through documentaries, self-made short films and animation. There are now over 350 films on the network which can be accessed by a mobile or computer.

Louise Porter, National Lead Nurse for Healthcare Transition and Coordinator of the LCHTV site says, “Phoebe’s video is one of hundreds in the LCHTV network. Every video has been invaluable for future patients and their families coming into the hospital, so they are better prepared and understand what to expect.”

She continues, “Having children and young adults talk to their peers in a fun educational setting, has positively enhanced patients’ experience, giving them a platform to voice their experiences and understand from a child’s perspective what to expect.”

The site has been used in other NHS Trusts in the UK for staff to use with other young patients, and more recently, won a coveted Nursing Times award for Child and Adolescent Services.

For more information and to visit the LCHTV network, visit: http://www.lchtv.com/