The Confident Patient Project

30/09/2025

Last week my son’s teacher approached me to tell me he had been complaining of a sore arm. He had told her it had started that weekend (first I’d heard of it!) and that he had mentioned it a couple of times throughout the day.

Now, my son doesn’t complain of pain, so I took him seriously. Some children do complain of something hurting on a regular basis. My advice is always the same- take them seriously.

Why? Because they are trying to communicate something to you.

My son’s ‘pain’ lasted, on and off, for 2 more days. Was it coincidence that he’s still getting used to a new school year? Who knows! But whether he was genuinely in physical pain, or not, here’s what I do.

Does your child complain of pain often? What do you do?

29/09/2025

This was me last week…
Tell me; where would your mind go?

Honestly, I think I had a mixture of all of these! Working in hospitals for nearly 15 years you are surrounded by ‘worst case scenarios’ so it’s hard not to let those intrusive thoughts linger.

Am I alone in this? Tell me in the poll x

Other? Tell me in the comments

13/06/2025

‘You can do hard things’

And I did!

On Thursday I presented to 130+ other health play specialists, healthcare professionals and play advocates.

I talked about my experience of setting up on my own, away from the NHS. I talked about the support I offer. And I talked about the incredible families I work with.

There is only one other HPS (that I know of) working independently in the country so it’s all very new, very exciting and there is still a lot to learn! (About having a small business, that is!)

Public speaking is not my happy place but I did it. I just thought of all the children and families that I support who have to do hard things every day, and if they can do it, I know I can too. And I did!

05/06/2025

This was such an exciting project to be a part of and a huge development within our profession!

A very proud and exciting day!

NHS England » Play well – resources for health play services for England

16/05/2025

Does anyone introduce themselves any more?!

Whenever I take one of my children to an appointment, whether it be the doctor, dentist, optician; it’s the first thing I ask.

‘What’s your name?’

(Well let’s be honest, I usually add a ‘sorry’ in there too)

I then introduce myself and invite my child to introduce themself too.

I don’t expect the healthcare professional to ever remember our names and I certainly don’t take offence if they forget.

But this short exchange can be really powerful.

It invites the professional to pause. To stop them rushing into whatever it is they are going to do. To take a breathe. To make eye contact with us and focus on the child in front of them.

It humanises everyone. For the doctor; it helps them to see the child, not just the series of questions or procedure that they need to do. The child may feel less intimidated and helps them to see this ‘authority figure’ as just another person.

It can help to break the ice. Sometimes the healthcare professional has the same name as someone we know and we might tell them. This coincidence can begin to build trust and lighten the mood.

Inviting my child to give their name empowers them to have a voice. To be heard and be listened to in an environment where that isn’t always the case.

And, in the case, of our lovely dentist. Knowing her name helps me prepare my children for their next appointment. Talking about going to see Olivia, is much nicer than talking about going to see the dentist.

And I’ve actually started to do it myself, when I’ve got an appointment without my kids and I find it really makes a difference.

Tell me, would you feel comfortable asking?

27/03/2024

Have you ever come across the word 'distraction' when it comes to medical procedures?
How does it make you feel?
I've been told before that distraction is deceptive, tricking a child into doing something they don't want to do but I can categorically tell you that that is just not true!
If your child has a medical procedure coming up, follow for more information about distraction and how it can help

20/03/2024

Imagine you are going to a birthday party, you are so excited as you know that parties have cake and games and maybe even a party bag.
But, instead of a party, your parents take you to a hospital, to have some of your teeth removed...

I know this sounds extreme but this is a true story and I've heard it more than once.

Now imagine how you would feel. Would you feel excited about going to a party again? Would you trust anything that was said? Would you want to be super compliant and do everything that the adults asked you to do? I'm guessing the answer to most of those would be 'no way'.

I have absolutely no judgement to these parents by the way. How do you tell a child that they have to go somewhere they don't want to go? To do something that scares them? Something that will hurt? It can be really really hard and it's much easier to avoid it and tell them something that will make them happy.

But you can do hard things. and as parents, we often have to.

I know that this is an extreme example but preparation will increase confidence, improve trust, improve their willingness to be involved and save time in the long run. This is especially true if you have a child who struggles with change or who is particularly sensitive.

It may bring on some nervousness and concern for them in the short term, and you have time to support them with that. In the long term, it means they will have a much more positive experience.

Have you ever wished you had been more prepared for something? Tell me about it below

15/03/2024

So, am I right? 😜

I know it seems like a lot; multiple days, books, toys and photo’s, all for a 5 minute check up? I get it, I really do.

But what if I told you spending time preparing children will save you time in the long run?

Preparation builds trust, builds confidence and improves the overall experience. And that’s not just for medical procedures, you can prep for anything!

I’d love to hear if you ever prepare for children for anything?

14/03/2024

Well, we had the appointment!
I picked my daughter up from nursery earlier than necessary, only 10 minutes but it meant that we didn't have to rush to get there. I made sure she had a clean nappy on, and gave her a snack on the way. Now at least I knew that all of her physical needs had been met.

Did she want to sit on the dentist chair? No

Did she want to open her mouth? No

Was the appointment a waste of time? No

Do I feel like all that preparation was a waste of time? Absolutely not!

Sometimes you need to be flexible and think outside the box a bit. She didn't want to sit on the chair, so she sat on my lap instead. She didn't want to open her mouth but she did want to show the dentist her dentist mirror she bought with her and that helped build her confidence and rapport with the dentist. She didn't want to show off her teeth so she held onto a mirror to show the dentist her teeth in the mirror instead of the dentist looking herself.

I wasn't surprised by any of it as I had already checked my expectations and she walked out feeling proud and confident- what a win!