MP returns to Sheffield Children’s Hospital after 40 years – meets team who treated her. 

40 years after making her first visit to Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust as a patient, Marie Tidball MP, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, returned to Sheffield Children’s Hospital to see new developments including the helipad.

At 11 months old, Marie had her foot amputated as part of her care whilst at Sheffield Children’s. This marked the first of several orthopaedic procedures that Marie underwent during her time at the Trust, including a major operation on her hips, which have enabled her to walk. These procedures also meant she would often spend between six and 12 weeks at a time in a plaster cast.

Whilst visiting staff, volunteers, and patients on a recent visit to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Marie found herself reunited with Clinical Nurse Specialist Jonathan Pagdin and Orthopaedic Technician Joyce Afflick, two staff members who had been involved in her care as a child.

Marie said: “It was so heartwarming to visit Sheffield Children’s, where they lovingly cared for me over so many years. I will always remember how kind, caring, and hilariously funny the team on the orthopaedic ward were. The effort of those nurses who made that possible, on top of extraordinary medical care, is something that I have hugely appreciated ever since.

“I couldn’t believe that Jonathan and Joyce, who looked after me whilst I was in hospital, came to say hello. It is due to the outstanding care delivered by professionals at Sheffield Children’s, including Jonathan and Joyce, that enabled me to walk, gain my confidence, and fulfil my potential.”

Jonathan works as part of the Paediatric Limb Reconstruction Service at Sheffield Children’s. This team cares for children and young people from across the globe with limb deformities and will celebrate its fortieth year of care in 2025. He said: “It was lovely to see Marie after all these years. It’s always so wonderful to hear that former patients have gone on to achieve amazing things, and we always love to hear all about what they have been up to since receiving care with us.”

Marie met patients and staff whilst visiting the orthopaedic ward and plaster room at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, which is where she would have been treated had she been admitted as a patient for the first time today.

After trading further stories with volunteers, learning all about how treatment has developed since her previous visit, and even being the first to sign a patient’s new plaster cast, Marie was also able to take in the views of Sheffield from the brand-new helipad at Sheffield Children’s. The helipad, which was made possible by a £6 million fundraising campaign spearheaded by The Children’s Hospital Charity, will help maintain the dignity of patients who arrive at Sheffield Children’s by air. Sheffield Children’s is the only major trauma centre in the region accepting patients under the age of 16, and the new helipad will provide patients who are airlifted to Sheffield Children’s with direct access to the Emergency Department, avoiding the need to land in a nearby public park and cross a busy road.

On the helipad, Marie added: “It was fantastic to see the new developments at Sheffield Children’s firsthand, especially the new helipad, which I know will enhance the quality of urgent care for children and improve their experience when receiving treatment. It was an honour to be invited back to the place that nurtured me as a child and enabled me to grow up to become an MP.”

Sheffield Children’s celebrates its 150^th birthday in 2026. The Trust is focused on tackling health inequalities in South Yorkshire, collaborating with schools to improve mental health support and neurodevelopmental care, and reducing waiting lists for children and young people in all care settings.

Ruth Brown, Chief Executive at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Everybody at Sheffield Children’s is exceptionally proud of the work that Marie has accomplished since receiving care from us as a child. It was especially touching to hear all about the fond memories that she has of the care that she received from long-standing staff members like Jonathan and Joyce.

“We have made several improvements to the care we deliver since Marie’s last visit, including the recent introduction of our new helipad, and we were proud to show Marie the areas where she would have been treated if admitted today. Our commitment to continuous development is driven by our aim to deliver outstanding care to patients and families across South Yorkshire and beyond.

“We’d like to thank Marie for visiting and can’t wait to work together to build a healthier future for children and young people.”