Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow

14/02/2026

💓 Somebuggy Loves You! 💓

Thank you to our amazing Play Team and our talented young patients for creating this Love Bug art display as we celebrate Valentine's Day today 😍

13/02/2026

🧠 For Children’s Mental Health Week, we caught up with Kris, one of the Health Care Support Workers on Ward 4, the National Child Psychiatric Inpatient Unit.

Just as it’s important to break the stigma around mental health conditions in adults, children can also need help with their mental health – and this year's theme is ‘This is My Place’.

“Children’s Mental Health Week is a celebration to highlight that the young people in the children’s hospital have mental health just as much as physical health,” said Kris.

“We’re all part of the world and we all need help at some point in our lives. Sometimes that can be pretty early in life. That’s the theme we’ve been using on the ward; we’ve done a big globe to show how we are all connected.”

Ward 4’s dedicated team work with young patients dealing with serious mental health conditions, always promoting a friendly environment that puts their interests at the heart of their care. 💙

“I would hope nobody would need a tier 4 service for mental health. But the support is in place if it is needed. It’s a light environment where people are really friendly, and we take things at the children’s own pace.

“We try our best to get things right for that child, and also include parents as much as possible. There is a lot of choice in all aspects of their care. If you must be here, it’s a friendly environment.

“We also promote independent advocacy, to allow the children to know their rights and what they have a say in.

“Compared to a medical ward, it can feel that our patients can be in for a long time. But we always work towards discharge and implement day passes, getting away for the weekend, sitting and having a meal with family. It replicates a typical home life before full discharge, which is always what we’re working towards.

“We’re lucky to have an outdoor space, soft play, art play, schooling, and through Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity some gaming and digital play. We provide a survey to young people when they come in to say yes, no or maybe to all the things that are available and let young people come up with their own ideas themselves.”

10/02/2026

🧠 It’s Children’s Mental Health Week!

Our Ward 4 patients and staff have been contributing to this amazing display on the 2026 theme, ‘This Is My Place’ 🤗

08/02/2026

💬 These amazing Neurology Team heroes want to hear from you!

At appointments this coming week, they'll be collecting feedback and comments on what Neurosciences means to our hospital community of patients and families.

Look out for them at Clinic 1 and leave a message for them in the comments 👇

06/02/2026

For Feeding Tube Awareness Week, Mum Leanne has kindly shared her daughter Ava's story.

“Ava is a happy, kind, little soul. She loves animals, especially cats and her two German Shepherds, and would like to be a veterinary nurse when she’s older. She loves mixing with her friends and family, as well as doing arts and crafts.

“Ava was born with a condition called duodenal atresia, which means her duodenum - the first part of the small intestine which helps process the contents of the stomach - wasn’t quite working.

“The tubes coming off her stomach were stitched together, and she required an operation at four days old to clear all the blockages.

“She got by with that surgery until nine or ten years old, after which she started having more issues – it was like it was all slowly knitting itself back together. Extra bits were stuck down and glued that were stopping food getting through to be processed in the stomach.

“A test showed that it was all stitched together again and she would need a major surgery at the end of 2025, which was 12 hours long. She was in hospital for three weeks to let the scar heal and the stomach wake up again.

“She had a good few meals and got home, but a few weeks later she would feel full and then vomit after just a few forkfuls of rice.

“We came back into hospital, and it was then that a nasogastric feeding tube was put in, with feeds at breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight. I’ve now had training to process the feeds, check the pH balances and ensure the tube is still in the stomach.

“Ava lost about 9lbs from those few weeks she was home and not managing food, now we’re at the point where she is gaining weight and now trying small mouthfuls while on the feeding tube. It is so helpful in a situation like this.

“The staff have all been amazing, they were in every hour for weeks on end. It’s like a family here on Ward 3B. There’s also the MediCinema, and Wendy from the Play Team. Ava is like her little shadow.

“When Ava gets home, she’ll have a little backpack that connects her tube, and that’s a huge help. She’s interested in learning how to do things for herself, which she’ll need to do at school at lunchtime. It doesn’t take away her independence; in fact it gives her more.”

04/02/2026

🕸 Our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man swung by the hospital to kick off our first visit of the year from the amazing Wish Upon A Star Kingdom!

Peter Parker met superhero fans across the wards to brighten their stay with the help of the Play Team and Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity.

Thanks for hanging out, Spidey! 🫡

03/02/2026

For all the knitters, crafters and creators out there - our friends at Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity are putting on a special challenge this Easter just for you!

See below for all the details 🐣

A brand new challenge has just hatched! 🐣

We're calling on all our crafty supporters to make and sell their Easter crafts, all in aid of Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity. 💜

From the 1st of March until the 5th of April, get creative and take on the challenge your way: knit, crochet, stick, paint – whatever you love – all with a wonderfully egg‑citing Easter twist!

Craft on your own, as a family, with your school, or with your local community group. However you choose to join in, every Easter craft you create, and every item you sell or donate, will make a real difference to children and families in Scotland's busiest children's hospital.

Get cracking and sign up for free now: https://bit.ly/ECC_GCHC

28/01/2026

👷 It's LEGO Day, and thanks to Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity and Fairy Bricks our young patients have been busy building their favourite sets to celebrate!

Thanks so much to our Play Team for organising this special day on the wards.

Do you or your child have a favourite LEGO set?

27/01/2026

🏡 Could you help families stay close to their child in hospital, hundreds of miles from home?

That's what our friends over the road at Crossbasket House do 365 days a year - and they're hiring for two new roles:

- House Services Coordinator (part-time)
- House Services Assistant (part-time)

Find out more and apply: https://www.crossbaskethouse.org/vacancies

25/01/2026

Happy Burns Night!

Thank you to Read for Good Storyteller Gerry, who sang his classic Scottish songs for our young patients 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Meanwhile, some of the other boys and girls in the hospital have been busy designing their own tartan thanks to Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity and the amazing Play Team!

24/01/2026

🤗 In 2025, the Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity Fundraising Hub at the hospital sold an average of 35 toys per day, 24 balloons per day, and five toiletry items per day.

Behind every one of these items is a child leaving hospital with something fun to normalise the experience, or a family able to buy toothpaste or soap when an emergency situation means there's no time to pack.

The Hub is now open from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, and is run by volunteers to ensure all profits can go back to the children's hospital.

Thank you to all of the charity volunteers who keep this vital service running year-round!

23/01/2026

There was some early Burns Night fun on the wards today, as Ryan from Act About and storyteller Emma popped in for some Scottish silliness!

Check out the Red Red Rose balloon they made for young patient Macie 🌹