CHILDREN can check-up on their teddy bears at Poole Hospital.

On Monday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 10, any child attending the hospital for an appointment or visit can bring their fuzzy friends for a free health check-up.

Hospital play specialists will be on hand to carry out the checks as a part of National Play in Hospital Week.

Play specialists are specially trained staff who help children to understand what can be a worrying experience, using play to take away fear of hospitals.

“The play specialist role prepares children for what can be a scary or uncomfortable time – either just coming into hospital or a procedure or test,” said play specialist Debbie Daniels.

“We can even distract them while they’re having the procedure, using play as a tool.”

Debbie said the team aims to normalise the hospital experience, making it less scary, by explaining the process, including what will happen to them and the equipment used, in a child-friendly way.

“We use soft toys on the children’s unit to demonstrate things like dressings, casts and blood tests, and we’re looking forward to meeting many more teddies and other soft toys, together with their owners, on Monday and Tuesday next week,” she said.

“We want to show as many children as possible, particularly those who may be anxious about the idea of having to come into hospital as a patient, that it isn’t as scary as they may think.”

Children can bring their soft toys to the dome area of the hospital on either of the two days, between 9am and 4pm.

Children will be given a doctor’s bag to keep, and can try virtual reality goggles, which are one of the latest tools available to the specialists.