Paper planes launch Take My Place campaign

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust tonight launched a new campaign to encourage parents and carers to pass on their appointments when they can’t make it, by launching a cascade of 406 paper planes through our main entrance ceiling – representing the number of missed appointments each week.

Instead we’re encouraging parents and carers to pass on the appointments they can’t attend by calling up and cancelling at least four days in advance.

Last year Sheffield Children’s saw 158,786 children in appointments across Sheffield with parents and carers bringing children to 88% of appointments. However, this 12% of missed appointments represents 21,140 times when a child did not receive the care they needed.

The colourful cascade of planes is a call to children and families to get in touch with us by calling the number on their letter, in the appointment reminder text or call 0114 305 3691 before the appointment to let another child take their place.

Sally Shearer, Director of Nursing and Quality at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust said: “It’s really important that parents and carers do whatever they can to bring children to hospital appointments. Children under the care of the hospital are often here for specialist treatment and missing appointments could endanger their health, or cause delays in their treatment.

“However, we understand that sometimes it may not be possible to attend an appointment and in those circumstances we want to encourage parents to let us know, so another child can take their place. We’ve made it even easier for people to change their appointments by extending our contact centre opening hours – all we ask is four days notice. This amount of time allows us to make sure that the spare appointment is able to be given to another child who is waiting for an appointment.

“Teams across Sheffield Children’s are working together to make sure families get reminder texts and clinic appointments closer to home. We’re doing everything we can to make sure parents bring children to appointments, including raising awareness through the new Take My Place campaign which we have now launched.”

For more information about passing on your appointment visit www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/TMP