Sheffield Children’s Hospital has set up a new pre-operative planning service for children with additional needs.

The service aims to contact families before their child’s operation to arrange any reasonable adjustments they may need – like a quiet waiting area, being first on the operating list, and appropriate medication before the operation. They will ask you about your child’s needs and talk you through the options for anaesthetic and postoperative care. If your child does not already have a Hospital Passport, they will help you to fill one in. If your child is non-verbal, they may also suggest filling in a Paediatric Pain Profile, which will help staff provide appropriate pain relief for your child after the operation.

If your child is booked for surgery at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, please ask the surgeon to refer them to the pre-operative planning service, if it hasn’t already been mentioned. You can also contact the service directly on 0114 3058130.

You can find lots of useful resources about inpatient surgery on the Sheffield Children’s Hospital website. These include a symbol-assisted social story, a short video narrated in Makaton and an easy-read picture book, as well as the hospital passport and pain profile.