Former patient from Stevenage helps shape East of England Children’s Hospital
The new hospital is being designed with the help of a Youth Forum made up of former and current patients
Children and teenagers are being recognised for their efforts in shaping the future of Cambridge Children’s Hospital (CCH).
The new hospital, which is set to welcome patients from across the East of England, is being carefully designed with the help of children, for children, to create the best possible approach to care.
Among these young contributors is Luke, a 16-year-old from Stevenage, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in July 2020.
His treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital included two major surgeries, with the first operation lasting seven hours and the second, more complex surgery lasting nine hours.
Although the majority of the tumour was removed, Luke still undergoes regular scans to monitor for regrowth.
The surgeries have left him with significant neurodevelopmental and physical challenges, but despite these difficulties, Luke is actively involved in improving healthcare services for others.
As a member of the Cambridge Children’s Youth Forum, Luke is helping to design the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
He said: “It’s really important that young people have a voice in the design as it makes patients feel much better about coming to hospital, if they know the design has been helped by young people who have had first-hand experience.”
“It makes you feel much better about going there because you know that people have been through similar situations as yourself and have best suited the hospital for your needs in the future.”
The Cambridge Children’s Youth Forum, which was formed in September 2023, includes young people from across the East of England who are eager to contribute to the development of the hospital.
Alisha, 19, from Cambridge, who has been part of the project since she was 15, said: “It feels like us young people’s voices get dismissed a lot as ‘not being serious’ or us being ‘too young’ to understand the complexities of how hospital works and how it’s run."
"But these Cambridge Children’s Youth Forums make such a difference because I feel like senior people are actually taking us seriously and listening to our views, opinions, and ideas.”
The Forum has been instrumental in shaping various aspects of the hospital, from the transition between children’s and adult services to the design of teenage spaces and the hospital school.
Dr. Isobel Heyman MBE, Clinical Co-Lead for Mental Health for Cambridge Children’s Hospital, said: "We are so proud to be working with these young people, this model has brought enormous value to the Cambridge Children's Hospital project and their perspective ensures children and young people are at the very heart of what we do."
Luke’s involvement has been particularly focused on improving communication between the hospital school and the patient’s regular school.
He said: “We’ve been talking about how maybe there can be progress texts from the person and how the learning can be suited so that it’s as close to their normal school as possible, but not too strenuous where they suffer from their illness.”
The new Cambridge Children’s Hospital's main construction is expected to begin in 2025.