ABSTRACT
Play in healthcare is more than just ‘a nice idea’, intended to amuse and entertain children when they are unwell or in hospital. It is a practice founded on decades of qualitative evidence that play reduces the trauma of hospitalization, aids recovery from ill health, and supports developmental processes. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, the World Health Organization, and the European Association of Children in Hospital each endorse the child’s right to play in hospital, yet children’s access to healthcare play services remains sporadic and disorganized. This chapter demonstrates the potential reach of healthcare play by examining the way in which play specialists working in the UK’s National Health Service are accommodating to the changing demands of the twenty-first century. Thought-provoking case stories from practitioners in the field highlight the essential role of the play specialist for healthcare services which are effective, efficient, and respectful of children’s rights.
