A specially designed in-hospital cinema is set to open next year in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.
The cinema, funded by the charity MediCinema and Alder Hey Children’s Charity, will be the only one in a solely paediatric hospital in the UK and the first in the North West.
The colourful cinema will accommodate beds, wheelchairs, and medical equipment and show the latest movies for free to children and young people at Alder Hey.
Founded in 1999, MediCinema already operates cinemas in five NHS Trusts and Health Boards across the UK.
According to MediCinema research, 86% of attendees to its cinemas find that the experience supports their mental health and helps them cope. 94% say it reduces the isolation they feel in the hospital, and 93% report a reduction in stress and anxiety. The majority (56%) of patients surveyed shared that their MediCinema experience helps alleviate pain.
The build will be funded by grants and donations. Once opened, Alder Hey patients and families will be able to access the film screenings free-of-charge.
Alder Hey are launching an appeal this month calling for people to donate the equivalent cost of a cinema ticket to their Children’s Charity to contribute towards the first year’s running costs.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital treats over 330,000 children every year.
Nathan Askew, chief nursing officer at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust said: “Being in hospital can be challenging for children and young people and they can miss out on so many aspects of a normal childhood. Going to the cinema can be something we take for granted, and we will all have happy memories of not just the film but sharing that experience with others. Having a cinema within our hospital means we can give those children and young people who can’t normally go the opportunity to still have that magical movie experience. We also plan to run special screenings for some of our parents and families. It will make a massive difference to everyone here.”
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