New child play zone opened at St John's

Published on Wednesday 30 September 2009 10:05

A PLAY area to make visiting hospital a more pleasant experience for children has been officially unveiled.

The 180,000 project at St John's Hospital in Livingston has been hailed as a major step forward.

Made possible largely due to charity funding, the play zone will have virtual aquariums on plasma screens, numerous toys and other distractions.

It is aimed at making the hospital a more child-friendly zone by alleviating some of the boredom youngsters can experience when waiting for appointments.

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF) and West Lothian-based River Kids provided most of the funding, while NHS Lothian put in 17,000 and will provide ongoing support.

Maureen Harrison is the chief executive of the SKFF, which stumped up 112,000 for the scheme.

She said: "Anyone who has ever had to keep a child entertained while waiting for an appointment will see the massive benefit this work represents.

"We are pleased to be able to support this important work.

"This is probably the most innovative refurbishment work which we have ever been involved in.

"Although children will never be there for long, this excellent play area will distract children from thinking about the appointments or treatments they are about to face."