Staffordshire Children's Hospital at Royal Stoke, Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent (2026)

06/02/2026

Pupils from a local primary school are helping to shape the future of patient care and experience at UHNM. 👧🏥

Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke welcomed 14 pupils from Westlands Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme as part of UHNM’s first ‘Little Voices’ visit.

The scheme gives children the opportunity to explore hospital wards, meet staff and share their views on how the environment can feel more welcoming and supportive for young patients.

During the visit the pupils, aged from reception to year six, were asked to give feedback on a range of topics including whether the ward felt welcoming, safe and well-run. The results will help staff make improvements to ensure children feel confident and comfortable when attending.

🗣 Teresa Wilson, matron at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital, said: "We’re thrilled to welcome pupils from Westlands Primary School to Staffordshire Children’s Hospital today. As part of our Little Voices initiative, this pilot visit gives children the chance to explore our wards, meet staff, and tell us how we can make the hospital feel more friendly and less intimidating.

“Every day we come to work to care for children, and ensuring their experience is positive is at the heart of what we do. By listening to their feedback, we can continue to improve our environment so that if they need to come back, they feel safe, supported, and confident. Both the children and our staff are very excited and we hope to make this a rolling programme so other schools can join in the future."

🗣 John Taylor, Head Teacher at Westlands Primary School, added: "It’s been brilliant to see our pupils from reception through to Year Six so engaged with the visit to Staffordshire Children’s Hospital. Initiatives like this give children a real-life perspective on the hospital environment, helping to break down any barriers or anxieties they might have.

"It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to contribute their views and, at the same time, understand how welcoming and supportive the hospital can be for children and families."

🗣 One of the pupils, Scarlett, aged 9, said: "It’s really fun to be here at the hospital with my friends. I like seeing all the people and the snowflakes on the walls, they make it look really cool."

15/01/2026

UHNM Hero Award Winners: Play Team 🏆🏥✨

A mother whose young daughter spent 40 days in the care of UHNM staff has returned to Royal Stoke University Hospital to thank the team for their “impeccable holistic care”.

Maddie Meigh’s two-year-old daughter Robyn was admitted to Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke for a series of tests for a degenerative neurological condition.

Maddie, from Newcastle-under-Lyme was joined by Robyn, husband Dean, four-month-old son Oliver and Dr Simon Constable, chief executive, to present the Play Team with a UHNM Hero Award in recognition of their exceptional care and compassion shown during their hospital stay.

🗣 Maddie said: “During our stay, the play team provided impeccable holistic care not only to Robyn, but to myself too. They gained a beautiful bond with my daughter and treated her like royalty. They took her to play, walked her in her chair when her mobility was worse and created beautiful decorations for her room to make it feel less scary and more like a safe, happy space.

“They were also there for me as a mum. They listened to my worries, took time out of their day to check in on how I was coping and made sure we had everything we needed. I was also caring for my newborn son X, and very limited visitors, so their support made an overwhelming situation feel manageable.”

“Every member of the Play Team was amazing. You could see the positive culture in the way they worked together and in the genuine smiles on their faces. They supported Robyn during her most unwell moments, helped during procedures and always seemed to pull a bit of magic from their pockets to keep a smile on her face when she was scared or distressed

“They also built such a close bond with both Robyn and myself, always knowing how to make us laugh, even during the darkest moments, they truly are angels in disguise.”

🗣 Speaking after receiving the award, Emma Biddulph, HPS co-ordinator, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the whole play team. This award really reflects the care, compassion and creativity they show every single day, often in very challenging circumstances. Supporting children and their families through difficult moments is at the heart of what we do, and it means so much to see that recognised by a family we have cared for.”

🗣 Dr Constable added: “I can’t begin to imagine what this family went through, but I’m proud that our teams were able to support them through such a difficult time. It was lovely to meet the family and to see first-hand the impact our staff have.”

11/06/2025

A new ultrasound screening service at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke is set to bring potentially life-saving sickle cell monitoring and diagnostic care closer to home, benefiting dozens of patients and their families each year.

The transcranial doppler (TCD) service will help to identify the risk of stroke in children as young as two-years-old diagnosed with the disease by detecting early narrowing of blood vessel walls in the brain.

The service, set to launch at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) later this month and run in partnership with visiting specialists, will offer care to patients who would otherwise have had to travel to Birmingham for outpatient appointments.

🗣 Dr Aswath Kumar, consultant paediatrician in oncology and haematology, said: “The number of sickle cell patients under the care of Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke has risen from two a decade ago to almost 40, so I am very excited that we are able to launch this vital new TCD service for the benefit of our local population.

“Sickle cell disease is known to be associated with a high risk of children developing a stroke in early years. The non-invasive ultrasound scan assesses the flow of blood in vessels in the brain, giving us an idea about the risk of the patient’s risk of developing a stroke in the future. If we can pick things up early, in the majority of cases treatments can take place here at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke to reduce the chance of patients suffering from a stroke or other associated complications.

Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells, and is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background.

Dr Kumar said: “The ability to be able to offer this service locally here in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire is vital. Despite the scan’s importance, some families from our area were unable to attend appointments in Birmingham due to both time and financial restrictions. Improving access to it will help to potentially save the lives of some of our youngest sickle cell patients.”

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

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Royal Stoke University Hospital
Stoke-on-Trent
ST46QG

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https://www.uhnm.nhs.uk/staffordshire-childrens-hospital-at-royal-stoke/

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Staffordshire Children's Hospital at Royal Stoke

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