New visual guide helps children feel calmer in hospital

A play practitioner at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has created a new visual tool to help children and their families feel calmer during scans and other procedures.

Kate Edwards works as a play practitioner in the Children and Young People’s Unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH). She supports children coming through the Emergency Department (ED). Her role includes preparing children for operations, blood tests and imaging scans.

She noticed that many children felt fear and anxiety around blood tests and radiation. Her background in supporting children with autism and learning disabilities has shown her that visual tools can make a big difference.

Kate said she wanted to explain things in a simple, pictorial way. She said: “If we explain things in pictures, children can understand what will happen and where they’ll be. It helps reduce fear.”

Working with the radiology team, Kate was able to visit each area and build a visual book that shows exactly what the rooms look like, what staff wear and where people stand during a scan. Using a social stories app, she created child-friendly guides for CT, X-ray and MRI procedures. She first printed and laminated the book at home, before sharing it with her Matron and X-ray team for approval.

Early testing with children showed that the language needed to be kept simple. Parents also said the guides helped them understand the equipment their children would see. Kate worked closely with staff to make sure each image was accurate and matched the real rooms children are treated in.

Kate said: “When children understand what’s happening to them, their fear decreases, this book gives patients a sense of control and comfort during what can be a very unnerving time.

“It’s important to take the fear away. I want to help as many children and families as possible, because I see the anxiety they go through, especially when they’re already unwell.”

For children with additional needs, such as autism or ADHD, Kate has also recorded the sounds made by the different machines. Playing these sounds ahead of a scan helps children feel more prepared.

Interest grew across departments as the resource went through governance approval. Dr Adrian Marsh, ED consultant encouraged Kate to submit her work to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Conference, where it will be presented in April 2026.

Dr Marsh said: “Emergency Departments are busy places and can be a frightening experience for a child, but what Kate has created shows that she is putting our patients first. Her work is thoughtful, practical and rooted in the needs of the families we see every day. This resource will make a real difference to a child’s experience whilst in the Emergency Department.”

Kate hopes every department that sees children will have access to the guide. Her long-term aim is to develop QR codes linking to each procedure, so staff can access the resources even if a play practitioner is not available. She would also like to create a full step-by-step child-centred guide, written in simple language.

Jo Williams, Group Chief Executive said: “We are grateful to Kate, who has taken the time to understand what children find frightening and has worked with our teams to create something that genuinely helps them. This is thoughtful, compassionate work, and it reflects the care we want every child and family to experience in our hospitals.”