Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was the first in the region to introduce the Baggins the Bear journey, which is funded by its official NHS charity – Bradford Hospitals’ Charity.
Baggins the Bear
Baggins the Bear and his hospital journey is introduced to children when they receive their hospital appointment through the post. The children receive the following:
- A personalised letter through the post from Baggins the Bear explaining when and where their operation will take place, and what will happen on the day.
- A link to the Baggins the Bear website, where the child can watch an animated film of Baggins going in for his operation, explaining in age-appropriate language what will happen when the child has their operation.
- When the child arrives in hospital on the day of surgery, they receive a bag which contains: a Baggins the Bear soft toy and a booklet with the story of Baggins the Bear having an operation, with fun activities to distract them in hospital.
- A life-size ‘Big Baggins the Bear’ greets children as they arrive at the operating theatre with their parent/guardian, so they can have their photo taken before surgery.
- A Baggins the Bear poster is displayed in the pre-operating room to distract children as they are given anaesthesia.
- After the operation, they receive a Baggins the Bear bravery certificate, and they can take their bear and activities home.
Team Leader for the Bronte Theatres
Andy Yates said:
Baggins was a real game changer for Bradford Teaching Hospitals.
We’ve had great feedback from parents and it has been evident to see when the children arrived in theatre with their bears in tow!
Watching the children go into the anaesthetic room freely without parents having to carry them in because they are scared has been a real pleasure to see. It’s wonderful that they no longer see hospitals as a scary place and that doctors and nurses are not scary people. They very much interacted and the feedback was very positive.
We can’t wait to keep building on this pathway to make it the very best paediatric and patient pathway in the region, if not further.
Paediatric Sister
Alison Childs said:
I was lucky enough to be working the day children met Baggins for the first time. It was lovely to see the children and parents opening the bags and receiving their Baggins the Bears. It brought smiles to their faces and made the experience of coming into hospital a little less scary. They also liked going to look for Baggins’ big brother down in theatre and were excited when they returned to tell me they had found him!
Fund Baggins the Bears!
- A monthly donation of £3 will provide one bear per month to a child.
- A one-off donation of £30 will enable our trust to supply bears to a ward of children on a typical day of surgery.
