Allowing Children in Hospital to Play ‘Could Reduce Mental Health Problems’

The Independent published this story by Storm Newton on a new report from the UK charity Starlight emphasizing the importance of playtime during hospitalizations: 

“Investing more in play resources for children in hospital could prevent them from developing ‘serious, long-term mental health problems,’ a charity has claimed.

Starlight said giving children the opportunity to play could reduce the risk of trauma.

The report, Reducing Trauma For Children In Healthcare, also highlights ‘huge gaps in play resources’ in the UK and called for investment in play professionals and resources.

According to analysis by the charity, there are 1,156 people in a variety of roles in the UK’s play workforce, but only 571 are registered health play specialists (HPS).

This is compared to 1.7 million UK hospital admissions a year.”

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