ABSTRACT
The play specialist provides a variety of activities each day. Children of all ages enter hospital and it is possible that the play specialist may work with infants, as well as adolescents. It has been suggested, for economic reasons, that nursing staff could provide play for children in hospital as part of their duties. The play staff and other members of the paediatric team must give isolated children as much attention as possible. By providing a play scheme, with a play specialist to run it, the clinic becomes a more welcoming place. Play provisions have grown in Britain since the first play scheme started in a London hospital in 1963. In 1976, a government report, 'The Expert Group Report on Play for Children in Hospital', recommended that a trained play specialist should be employed to organize play for all children in hospital; however, with the present economic situation, this has not been implemented on a large scale.
