The Play Service, CUH
The Play Service is supervised by the Play Specialist and supported by Children in Hospital Ireland volunteers. We understand that when young people are sick in hospital your usual routines are disrupted and you may be separated from your family and other familiar activities and pets for periods of time. There are a wide selection of books, board games, Nintendo DS’s, Tablets and Arts and Craft activities available for young people in the playroom.
The Playroom is currently situated on Puffin ward on the 5th Floor. It is a safe zone where no medical procedures are performed. If you are too ill to come to the playroom or cannot come because of isolation or bedrest (or you simply prefer to stay in your room) then play can be provided at your bedside.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am – 4.30pm.
Hospital School
Cork University Hospital School is a primary school based in Puffin Ward. It is a special school, funded by the Department of Education and Skills and managed by a Board of Management. It caters for children who are hospitalised and are deemed well enough by the medical staff to attend. Our school room has lots of resources available: textbooks and library books, touch screen computers and iPads and art materials, music workshops, all to make your learning enjoyable during your time in hospital.
It is our aim that children who are enrolled carry on with their normal studies and keep pace with the curriculum in a child-centred, caring and compassionate way. If you are unable to visit the classroom one of our teachers can visit you on the ward. Our school has two teachers, Gobnait Curran and Ber Annis who are members of HOPE, the organisation for hospital schools in Europe. We cover the primary school curriculum and we are open from 8:50 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. In as far as is practicable, we also facilitate secondary school students in keeping touch with their studies.
Members of the Defence Forces visited the school in CUH on the 4th March 2016 to present the National Flag and read the Proclamation
WiFi
If you want to go online on your phone or tablet, you can access the hospital’s free WiFi. Ask your nurse for the guest password.
Kids Classics
Kids Classics is a music experience that brings together some of Ireland’s leading professional musicians in an educational, fun and interactive experience for children. A group of professional musicians visit once a month to perform for the children and conduct music workshops.
Irish Therapy Dogs
We have a regular visiting Golden Retriever named Millie whom the children, parents and staff adore. If you are missing your pet from home, a visit from Millie could cheer you up!
Barretstown Hospital Outreach Programme
The Barretstown Hospital Outreach Programme (HOP) brings the magic of Barretstown to the bedside! Specifically designed to run in hospitals, HOP allows children who cannot travel to Barretstown to experience the benefits of the Barretstown programme. Trained volunteers, who have all worked at camp before, set up in the hospital once a month and run activities and games for children and adolescent patients.
Helium Arts and Health Organisation
They hold arts programmes for children and young people throughout the year in CUH and other hospitals. For seven months in 2015 one of their artists worked with our teenage patients and produced an interactive radio play “Radio/Silence” which has been broadcast on CUH Radio. It will be exhibited in Cork City Hall in April 2016 and will be taken on a tour of hospitals nationwide.
Fun Visitors
Special celebrity visitors come to the children’s wards in the hospital regularly. You might be lucky enough to meet your favourite sports star, character, celebrity or singer!
Munster Rugby players visit us. Rob Heffernan spends some time with us.
All smiles with Rose of Tralee 2016 Safe in the arms of Munster Rugby!