Teddy Bear Hospital

Teddy Bear hospital is a public health project for medical, dental and nursing students targeting 3 -7 year old children (i.e. nursery to primary 3). The main aim is to alleviate the fears and anxieties that children may have about doctors and hospitals.

The Teddy Bear Hospital aims to familiarise children in a friendly and fun atmosphere with the consultation atmosphere at a hospital, GP’s surgery or paediatric clinic. Children bring their “sick” teddy bear or doll and act as the parent, bearing responsibility for the sick toy. The Teddy Bear Hospital provides valuable contact time between medical, nursing and dental students and children, as well as an opportunity to actively promote health in workshop time. The Teddy Bear Hospital will offer local children the chance to experience the doctor-patient consultation and the hospital ethos without being directly affected as a patient.

The sessions are split into two sections: Teddy Bear Consultations and a Workshop. In Teddy Bear Consultations trained medical, nursing and dental students act as teddy doctors and work alongside the child through history, examination, investigations and treatment to determine a “diagnosis” and help the sick toy get better. This is done in small groups allowing the “Teddy Bear Doctor” to engage with each child individually. The workshops are done as a larger group activity and will consist of an interactive presentation and game to teach the children about an aspect of health. Workshops include, Health Eating, A Trip to the Dentist or Hospital, Me and My Emotions and What’s In My Body.

All teddy bear doctors involved will have received training on child protection, ethico-legal aspects of working with children, child development and play therapy. All our teddy bear doctors have professional indemnity either with the Medical Defence Union (MDU) or with the Medical Protection Society (MPS).  All volunteers will also have an up-to-date PVG.