Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Helen Stewart and I’m a Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. I started working at the Trust as a registrar in 2013 and was here on and off until being taken on as a consultant in the Emergency Department in 2019.
I am also the Officer for Health Improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
What does your job mean? How do you interact with children and young people when they come through the doors?
My job is to look after children and young people who come to the Emergency Department because they are acutely unwell or suffered an injury.
Every day is different. I might be looking after a child who has been in a serious road traffic accident, a baby who has a high temperature, or a young person who is experiencing a mental health crisis. My role is to listen to the patient and family, understand their concerns, initiate any investigations and management plans quickly and safely and then work out next steps with the child or young person.
For a child and their family, coming to the Emergency Department can be a distressing experience so we try to make everyone feel safe, listened to and cared for, and ensure families understand what is happening.
What is it about your job that makes it so special? What keeps you coming back and loving what you do?
I love working in the Emergency Department because I get to work with a whole team of people who are passionate about their patients and keeping them happy and safe. The patients themselves can also make it a real joy. A spontaneous hug from a toddler or a connection with a neurodivergent young person over Lego can make my day.
You also never quite know what the day is going to bring, and sometimes the difference you make is very immediate – you can see a child get better in front of you. Other times, it’s about supporting a family through a difficult time and helping them understand what is happening.
It’s a privilege to work with children and families, and to work alongside colleagues who are so committed to giving them the best possible care. That’s what keeps me coming back.
You work within the Emergency Department. What makes the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s different to others you’ve worked at?
The biggest difference is that we are entirely focussed on children, designing everything around their needs and those of their families.
We are the local hospital for the children of Sheffield as well as being the tertiary referral centre for a lot of specialties, leading to a wide variety of symptoms and conditions, and we can bring together the right expertise for each child.
We care for children and young people from across South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and sometimes further afield as we now have a helipad on top of our hospital. We see some of the most seriously ill and injured children from across the region.
Sheffield Children’s was created in 1876 by a doctor, an architect and a solicitor. The hospital was founded to support “poor sick children” who could not access or afford care in industrial Sheffield. For 150 years, Sheffield Children’s has been driven by its purpose to create healthier futures for every child – it is amazing to be part of this legacy.
Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity is currently raising £6.3 million towards the refurbishment of the Emergency Department. Can you tell us on a day-to-day level what that will mean for patients?
For the average child and family coming through our doors, the redevelopment will mean an Emergency Department that is better designed around their needs.
The current department was designed for around 24,000 patients a year, but we now see around 62,000 children and young people through our Emergency Department annually. So, while our teams have worked incredibly hard to provide excellent care, the environment itself is no longer designed for the number of patients we see today.
The multi-million pound redevelopment will give us the opportunity to create more space and a better environment in which to assess and care for children. That means more appropriate spaces for different types of care, greater privacy where it is needed and an environment that is more comfortable for children and families.
It will also help us to work more efficiently, so that patients can get to the right place and see the right team as quickly as possible.
Ultimately, it is about creating an Emergency Department that is fit for the number and complexity of children we care for today, while also helping us to meet the needs of children and young people in the future.
What will it mean for the team working in the Emergency Department?
For the team, it will mean having an environment that better supports the way we need to work.
At the moment, we often have to be very creative about how we use the space we have. The redevelopment gives us the opportunity to design the department around the needs of children, families and the staff caring for them.
That will make a real difference day to day. It will help us work together more easily, create better spaces for different types of care and give staff a better environment in which to do their jobs.
Our team is incredibly dedicated and works exceptionally hard. This redevelopment is about giving them the environment and facilities they need to provide the best possible care, now and for the future.
What are you most looking forward to in the redevelopment and why?
I’m most looking forward to seeing the difference it makes for children and families.
There are lots of exciting elements to the plans, but for me it comes back to creating an environment that feels calmer, more welcoming and more appropriate for children and young people.
I’m also looking forward to being part of the team involved in shaping the new department. The people who work here know what it is like to care for children in the current environment every day, so being able to use that experience to help create something better is really exciting.
It feels like a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the Emergency Department and create a space that is fit for the future.
Sheffield Children’s has been caring for children and young people for 150 years, and this feels like a really important part of looking ahead to the next 150. We have a responsibility to make sure we are investing in the care and facilities that children and young people will need in the future.
What would you say to the people who have supported the charity’s appeal already?
I would say a massive thank you.
This is a huge project, and it is only possible because people have chosen to support it. Every donation, every fundraising activity and every person who has engaged with Pride of Yorkshire (which kickstarted this appeal) has played a part.
What people may not always see is the difference that investment in the environment can make to the care we provide. Every day, children and families come through the Emergency Department at what may be a difficult time in their lives.
The support people have given will help us create a better environment for those children and families, and for the teams caring for them. You are helping to create something that will make a difference for children and young people for many years to come, and help us create healthier futures for children and young people.
Find out more about our Emergency Department appeal here or make a donation here.
