The impact of the Giggle Doctor visits at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

“My link to the Giggle Doctors goes back many, many years to 1997. At the time I had heard of them but I was at a conference one day where people were talking about the Giggle Doctors from Theodora Children’s Charity. Not long after that they started visiting RMCH.

Over the years we have gotten to know the Giggle Doctors who visit us every week and there have been some new faces too and we think they are wonderful. They’re fantastic with the staff, parents and the patients. It is nice that they each have their own different characters, the children really like that each Giggle Doctor has a theme and you can see it in the clothes they wear.

Some of the children here are very poorly and can’t leave their bed to go to the Play Room or leave the ward and they really enjoy the visits. It is something they look forward to and often say ‘ooh it is Giggle Doctor day today’ and they will just be smiling waiting for them to come round. Their faces just say it all and the faces of the families, they just respond with smiles and giggles and it is great to see them interacting with the Giggle Doctors.

The Giggle Doctors have a great approach with the young children and the teenagers. Even some of the children who are a bit quieter, I’ve noticed them working with the children who are a little bit shy and they are always welcomed over to the bedside.

I remember that one day we had a Dad who was feeling down in the dumps. He was fed up of being in hospital and going backwards and forwards. Then the Giggle Doctors came and he was laughing with them for over half an hour! He told me that he had never laughed so much and he said ‘It is therapy for Dads as well!’. We see that a lot with families, the Giggle Doctors are the whole package and are there for everyone.

We do surveys and the feedback always shows us how much the Giggle Doctors are welcomed here on our wards at RMCH. It goes both ways because we also get feedback from the Giggle Doctors and they always tell us that they feel welcomed and part of the Play Services team and that’s really important as well.’