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Most of the experience was excellent

Posted By irregularityfd68

"Most of the experience was excellent"

About: North Devon District Hospital / Paediatrics

(as a parent/guardian),

Our little boy was admitted to the Caroline Thorpe Ward overnight, and we are incredibly grateful to the medical and nursing staff for the outstanding care they provided. Everyone we encountered was kind, professional, and went out of their way to support both our son and us during a very stressful and worrying time.

However, we were disappointed by the experience we had with the play therapist on shift. Our two-year-old is energetic and was finding it difficult to stay entertained in an unfamiliar and confined environment. Despite the therapist being aware of our struggles, they seemed to actively avoid engaging with him. At one point, our son was clearly seeking their attention and was ignored. Their demeanour felt cold and dismissive, which made an already difficult situation more uncomfortable for us.

Play therapy could have made a meaningful difference for our little boy, but sadly, he was never given the opportunity to benefit from it. We hope this feedback can be taken constructively, as the rest of our experience on the ward was excellent.

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Responses

Response from Jessica Appleby, Senior Paediatric Staff Nurse (Northern Services), Caroline Thorpe Ward (Northern Services), Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 3 days ago
Jessica Appleby
Senior Paediatric Staff Nurse (Northern Services), Caroline Thorpe Ward (Northern Services),
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 02/07/2025 at 21:49
Published on Care Opinion on 03/07/2025 at 08:13

picture of Jessica Appleby

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback following your son’s recent stay on Caroline Thorpe Ward.

We are truly grateful for your kind words about the care provided by our medical and nursing staff. It means a great deal to the team to know that their professionalism, kindness, and support helped ease a very stressful time for your family.

I am, however, very sorry to hear about your disappointing experience with our play therapy service. Please accept my sincere apologies that your son did not receive the engagement and support you rightly expected and that the therapist’s manner left you feeling unsupported. This is not the standard we aim to uphold, and I understand how disheartening this must have been.

Your feedback will be shared with our play team and be used to reflect on how we engage with young patients and their families, particularly during times of distress or difficulty. Supporting children emotionally during their hospital stay is a vital part of care, and we are committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to benefit from play therapy in a warm and inclusive environment.

Thank you again for acknowledging the positive aspects of your son’s care, and for raising your concerns so thoughtfully. Due to the anonymous nature of this feedback if you would like to discuss your experience further, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via my email jessica.appleby@nhs.net.

Sending my best wishes for your son’s continued recovery.

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