Child and Family Support

Friends of PICU contribute to every part of the specialist care on the PICU.  Whilst the majority of our funds go towards buying additional life-saving equipment, ambulances, or completing large scale projects, we do go a lot further than this and consider the whole difficult experience of having a critically ill child in hospital.

Children and families have to deal with intense stress and unfamiliar surroundings, and our environment can have a huge effect on our overall wellbeing.  To help support this, we continue to donate a variety of sensory equipment in all shapes and sizes that primarily can be used at the bedside, sleep enhancing natural sound boxes, special handmade colourful pyjamas and gowns for cardiac patients, books for support and books for light reading, cd’s and dvd’s, a variety of art and craft materials and a colourful storage trolley that can be wheeled to the patient bedside if required – for the staff or parents to use to create items to help de-sensitise the medical environment, socks to keep small feet (and hands) warm, portable dvd players, tablets, and parent bedside chairs so it is feasible for a parent to spend as much time as they wish sitting next to their child, and refreshments for the family accommodation so families are able to make that all important drink in between time spent on the PICU.

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus we have also supported ways to alleviate the difficulties of all family members seeing their child, sibling or grandchild through providing an instant picture camera, and a new secure video messaging service that allows clinical teams to communicate and send updates; videos, photos, and messages to parents for times when they are unable to be with their child in hospital. It is used by parents so that they can receive reassurance of their child’s wellbeing and minimise anxiety from being separated.

Bereavement support is a key focus for Friends of PICU and the PICU team. We are acutely aware that not all outcomes are positive and supporting a family and the staff on the PICU is immensely important. In 2019 Friends of PICU initiated the beginning of a 3 year support programme within the PICU through providing funds to enable key medical staff dedicated time for bereavement support within the Unit, with a priority on providing opportunities for memory making, making any necessary arrangements outside of the Unit, such as regional children’s hospices, and also staff training, the best and most appropriate practices, follow ups with families and throughout the Children’s Hospital where required.

Family support is also offered through the psychologist and chaplaincy service to all families for practical, emotional and religious support whenever it is needed.  Previously Friends of PICU has funded a psychologist for a period of 3 years.  Many people find the experience of the PICU traumatic and distressing. The psychologist service is there to provide support for patients, families, and also staff on the Unit in a number of ways, particularly through talking and discussing feelings, concerns, situations that have occurred, amongst other aspects, but also after their time in hospital.   With the effectiveness of this initial 3 year period and need for the continuation of this service, Southampton Children’s Hospital approved hospital funding for psychology support directly, as an important aspect of the PICU care.  This has been a big step forward and would not have been possible without Friends of PICU and the fundraising and donations from our amazing supporters.