TELEVISION HOSPITAL dramas are frightening kids rather than educating them, a new study shows today.
TELEVISION HOSPITAL dramas are frightening kids rather than educating them, a new study shows today.
A visit to the hospital and an injection topped the poll of kids' biggest fears - they say they'd rather watch a scary horror film than face a date with the hospital doctor, according to independent research commissioned by Norwich Union Healthcare.
And parents are worried that hospital dramas are fuelling their children's fears.
More than half of parents said that gory TV hospital dramas are unrealistic and lead to kids confusing fact and fiction. But nine in ten children aged between seven and 12 regularly tune into programmes like 'Casualty' and 'ER'.
But it's good news for the NHS, desperate to recruit nurses - nearly three in five girls want to be nurses and a third of boys want to be doctors.
The research - carried out among both parents and children - also shows:
- More than three and a half million children have been to hospital for treatment - that's three quarters of all children between the ages of seven and 12 *
- Dads worry more than mums about their child going into hospital
- Two in five boys would prefer to take their Gameboy to hospital, rather than their parent or family member
- But more than a third of girls would rather take a family member with them, followed by a book and soft toy
- Three in five parents said that, to allay a child's fear of hospital, they would advise sitting with them and talking to them about the visit, and only one in five would arrange a pre-visit to the hospital
In response to the need to provide parents and their children with realistic advice about what to expect from a hospital visit, Norwich Union Healthcare has produced a guide, simply called 'My Hospital Visit'.
The guide includes information about the various staff kids are likely to meet in the hospital, how to prepare for the visit, details about the different areas of the hospital and a glossary of common terms they may come across.
Celebrity mum and children's television presenter Wendy Turner welcomed the launch of 'My Hospital Visit'. She said: "For a child of any age, a visit to hospital is likely to be frightening. This guide has been designed to reassure kids, take them on a mini tour of the hospital and introduce them to the people they're likely to meet.
"I like it because it's interactive and designed to be very child-friendly. It's got a fold-out map of a typical hospital with cartoons, space for kids to keep notes of their daily routine, and names and telephone numbers of friends they make."
'My Hospital Visit' is supported by leading children's charity, Action for Sick Children. Its Director, Cheryl Hooper, said: "A stay in hospital can be a traumatic experience for an adult, let alone a small child. We believe at Action for Sick Children that appropriate preparation for a hospital stay can make a huge difference to how a child will cope."
Nicole Hockley of Norwich Union Healthcare, said: "Our research shows that parents naturally worry about their children having to go into hospital, and there's a need for information to educate kids about what to expect from their hospital visit. That's why we have produced the guide, and we hope that parents and children will find it useful."
To obtain a free copy of 'My Hospital Visit' call Freefone 0800 122 810.
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Notes to editors
* Office for National Statistics, Population Estimates, 1999
Norwich Union Healthcare commissioned Brand & Issues to conduct an independent survey of 500 parents and 360 children between the ages of seven and 12 in October 2000
CGU and Norwich Union merged on 30 May 2000 to create CGNU plc - the world's 6th largest insurer, the UK's largest insurance group and one of the top-five life insurers in Europe with substantial positions in other markets around the world.
CGNU's principal business activities are long-term savings, general insurance and asset management with worldwide premium income and retail investment sales of Ł26 billion and assets under management of more than Ł200 billion.
The combined life and pensions, general insurance and retail fund businesses in the UK operate under the Norwich Union brand, while the institutional business operates under the Morley Fund Management brand.
For further media information, contact Anja Kueppers or Matthew Buchanan at QBO on 020 7379 0304 or Louise Zucchi at Norwich Union Press Office on 01603 684 506.