A group of six children who all have an inherited metabolic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) put on lab coats and became scientists for the day!
The young patients from the patients from the Southwest Regional Paediatric Metabolic Service at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children took part in a Harvey’s Lab Tour of our Severn Pathology labs at Southmead Hospital. “Harvey’s Lab Tours” is an initiative which helps children to be informed about their care.
Firstly, the new scientists did an “I spy” to help orientate themselves, looking for items they could see in the lab. Then, they made “bloodspots” (using food dye) and prepared them for analysis, just as our scientists do with patients’ samples. The children also got to see the analyser which generates all their phenylalanine results. The children received certificates and “souvenirs” of their day, funded by Harvey’s Lab Tours.
Visiting the lab helps younger patients (who are regular laboratory service users) to:
- Understand the importance of their blood tests
- Meet healthcare scientists who work behind the scenes
- Feel confident and in control of their healthcare journey.
What did the children think?
- “I enjoyed learning the names of the analysers”
- “I liked looking around the lab”
What did the parents think?
- “Very well organised and very informative. We really enjoyed the tour”
Suzanne Ford, Metabolic Specialist Dietitian for North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), said: “We were so pleased to be able to host this event in collaboration with Harvey’s Lab Tours, and hope to host more tours for paediatric patients in the future. For families, it’s a chance to ask questions and learn more about treatment processes, making the hospital experience a little less daunting.”
Abbie Robotham, Paediatric Metabolic Dietitian at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust (UHBW), said: “It was fantastic to see our families getting so involved and enjoying the experience—there were lots of happy faces coming out of the lab! The day was really valuable, not just for helping families understand what happens behind the scenes, but also for giving us as professionals a better sense of the day-to-day challenges they face.
“We’re really keen to work with the team at NBT again to run more events like this and reach even more families.”
This event was organised with the help of Harvey’s Lab Tours: how did the tours begin?
In 2013, Malcolm Robinson, an NHS scientist and 7-year-old Harvey Baldwin who had leukaemia, instigated the first laboratory tour. The visit to the laboratory was enjoyable for Harvey and rewarding for staff, who all reported that it was lovely to put a face to a name that they had seen so often.
Since 2013 over 140 different hospital laboratories have hosted hundreds of children for tours. So, thank you to Malcolm and Harvey!
Harvey’s Lab Tours is an initiative continued by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences and NHS scientists throughout the UK are keeping children informed about their care.