The families of children with serious and complex health conditions can now receive extra care and support after Ipswich Hospital welcomed its first Roald Dahl nurse specialist.
Lucy Broom (pictured), who was previously a junior sister on the children’s ward, took up the brand new role at the start of this year. It has been created by Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity working in partnership with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital.
Lucy will be responsible for supporting around 80 children and young people in east Suffolk with complex, lifelong conditions, who often need to see multiple medical professionals. She will help to coordinate their care while acting as a single point of contact for their families.
Lucy will also hold regular clinics, where she will review patients and answer any questions their parents or carers may have.
“I’m honoured to become Ipswich’s first Roald Dahl nurse specialist,” said Lucy, who began her career in neonatal intensive care in London and worked at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices before moving to Ipswich Hospital four years’ ago.
“It’s a really exciting, holistic role. The families of children with complex illnesses are often under a lot of pressure, so it’s great that we will be able to offer them one central person who can coordinate care on their behalf. I hope to make a difference by taking care of the little things which then add up to become the big things.
“I will help to arrange multi-disciplinary meetings and liaise with different professionals such as dieticians and physiotherapists. I’ll also help to coordinate discharges and work with community teams to make sure everything is in place to get young patients them home and keep them home as much as possible.”
Consultant paediatrician Dr Lauren Filby said: “We are thrilled to be able to support this role and enhance the services already in place for our youngest patients. Their care will be transformed by the presence and expertise of a Roald Dahl nurse specialist. Lucy’s dedicated ability to coordinate, liaise, support and educate teams about the unique needs of these children will be life-changing for them and their families.”
There are currently more than 120 Roald Dahl nurse specialists caring for 33,000 seriously ill children in the UK. For more information, visit the charity’s website.
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