Sheffield Children’s is 145 years old!

Where we began

Sheffield Children’s is 145 years old today!  We thought we should take some time for a little journey through our history.

On November 15 1876 Sheffield Children’s Hospital opened for the first time on Brook Hill, not far from where the Western Bank site now sits. With a rent of £63 a year, it was an ‘infirmary for children’ founded by Architect Mr J.D. Webster, Doctor Mr William J. Cleaver and Solicitor Mr Henry Vickers. Together, they formed a committee and decided it would be “expedient to fund an institution for the relief of poor sick children.”

In its first year, the Hospital saw 29 inpatient admissions – some way short of the 25,000 inpatients seen we now see every year. But that’s not the only thing to change over the years. By 1907 we had installed our first X-Ray machine – and some electric lighting – before things really warmed up in the 1920’s with electric radiators replacing open fires and the operating theatre opened its doors.

Since 1948 our services have been provided under the NHS and our trust continued to grow. In the 1970s we extended what became the Emergency Department and last year 34,347 patients were treated there.

Reflections

Ruth Brown, Acting Chief Executive of Sheffield Children’s, said: “Looking back at the 145 years of Sheffield Children’s it’s incredible to see how things have changed! From three founders to now over 3,600 colleagues across the Trust I’m so proud to be part of a landmark in Sheffield’s history.

“Sheffield Children’s was created with the sole focus of caring for children and young people at a local level for a small number of people. We have grown to care for children and young people locally, nationally and internationally. We go beyond our hospital walls, caring for patients in the community and in their own homes.  We provide physical and mental health care and have a highly specialised workforce. We’re continuously investing in new technology to improve the care of patients, taking part in international research for new ways to care for young people and innovating and educating to create a healthier future for children and young people.

“I’m incredibly proud to work at Sheffield Children’s and to be part of a team which has made such a difference to the lives of many people from hospital to community care. Happy birthday!”

The Children’s Hospital Charity, was formed exactly a century after the hospital in 1976, to help the Trust go above and beyond NHS provision with new facilities, research, medical equipment and an engaging environment for all who visit. One of their ongoing projects is looking to improve the experience for those patients in the Emergency Department.

John Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer at The Children’s Hospital Charity added: “Since the hospital was first formed 145 years ago today, Sheffield Children’s has always depended on the generosity of our community to be the very best it can be.

“The Children’s Hospital Charity was formed exactly a century after the hospital, to help Sheffield Children’s go above and beyond NHS provision, whether that’s through new facilities and equipment, vital research or creating a comfortable, engaging environment for all who visit.

“We are immensely proud at the Charity to support Sheffield Children’s, an institution steeped in such impressive history and a source of great pride and affection for people across the region and beyond. On behalf of the Charity and all our supporters, Happy Birthday!”

Since our last birthday

We’ve continued to care for children and young people in a variety of our other services. Last year more than 195,000 appointments were attended – either face-to-face or virtually – in our Outpatients department.

It’s not just hospital care. In 2020/21 we saw 26,413 children and young people for community mental health appointments, accommodated 479 overnight stays at Ryegate House, conducted 321 research studies and assisted in carrying out 1650 transfers through Embrace. We also supporting families through our respite centre Ryegate House and our four inpatient lodges at Becton – which even expanded its school service with a new site at Chapel House.

The pandemic put exceptional pressure on everyone, and our COVID support webpages were visited 161,065 times as families sought advice and resources.

We have been a leader in a number of areas of healthcare this year. In March, the UK’s first Child Health Technology Conference – founded by Professor of Child Health at Sheffield Children’s, Prof Paul Dimitri – was hosted virtually at the Trust and brought together some of the country’s top experts in healthcare, technology, academia and computer science with a shared goal of improving the health and care of children and young people.

The Trust was also approved as one of just approved for the use of Zolgensma – which can prevent paralysis and prolong the lives of children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) – in the past year.

Soon after our last birthday, Sheffield Children’s launched its Green Plan with the ambition to be in the top 10 greenest NHS Providers in the country and to support the Trust’s vision to create a healthier future for children and young people. Our wonderful Ryegate Centre team are helping children and their families get on their bikes as a greener alternative, as well as learning new everyday skills. As a result of this plan and the changes made, the Trust was named as a finalist for the Health Service Journal’s (HSJ) Environmental Sustainability Award and, as Sheffield Children’s celebrates its 145^th birthday, we are waiting to hear the outcome of the awards.

Throughout the past year The Children’s Hospital Charity raised over £750,000 for the Cancer and Leukaemia Ward at Sheffield Children’s through the Bears of Sheffield trail across the city. Thanks to fundraising through the Bears and work of individuals and organisations, the cancer and leukaemia ward is fully funded and will be open to patients soon after its renovation.

What next?

Today, Sheffield Children’s continues to be a specialised paediatric Trust and one of only three dedicated children’s trusts in the UK.  We provide integrated healthcare for children and young people, including community and mental health care as well as acute and specialist services. Our aims are to provide outstanding patient care, to be a brilliant place to work, and to be a leader in children’s health.

We’re increasingly working with our partners in Sheffield, in the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System and beyond, but there is potential for greater integration and delivery of patient care in partnership with other Providers, Commissioners and Voluntary Services. Our unique position as a provider of acute, community, mental health and emergency transport services gives an unrivalled expertise, and there’s much more we can do to help other organisations – and ultimately help children – by sharing that expertise, research and best practice. We will develop our research further, continue to embrace technology to support high quality care and also continue our work to create the first ever Centre for Child Health Technology – bringing together healthcare, academia and the private sector to drive innovation and better care. With this work we know we can not only help children and young people in our region, but across the world.

We have a vision for a future where children always receive outstanding care – wherever we see them, whatever we see them for. Our dedicated team strive for this by following our values; Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.

The Children’s Hospital Charity will be doing lots of amazing things in the next year to support the work we do to care for children and young people, you can find out more about their latest appeal for a helipad at the hospital on their website.