Full Breakdown
Trauma-Informed Care Reduces Fear for Children at Royal London Hospital
By Drooid · · How we work
Initiative Overview
Matron Alison Klufio oversees three areas of the Royal London Hospital’s children’s division— a general medical and respiratory ward, a short-stay and assessment unit, and paediatric out-patients. Drawing on 35 years of nursing experience, she has introduced mandatory trauma-informed procedural training for nursing staff and other healthcare professionals. The program aims to lessen children’s fear of medical procedures and prevent psychological trauma while delivering necessary treatment. Children such as eight-year-old Tabeer, diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and later treated for osteomyelitis, and six-year-old Sylvie, undergoing chemotherapy for a blood-cancer-like condition, have reported reduced anxiety after the approach was applied.
Background and Recognition
The effort was highlighted when Klufio received the 2026 Protector of Play Award from Starlight, a charity that supports play in healthcare settings. The award recognises NHS staff who are not specialist play practitioners but who integrate play-based strategies to improve children’s hospital experiences. Health-play specialist Katie Friend nominated Klufio after she turned Friend’s suggestion for trauma-informed procedural care into compulsory training.
Official Statements & Responses
Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Starlight, noted that involving health-play specialists can enable procedures such as magnetic-resonance imaging to be performed without anaesthetic, yielding cost savings and fewer staff required. She emphasized that the primary goal is to make children’s lifelong experience of healthcare as positive as possible.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I just do what I do. I love my job and the teams I work with.” — Alison
- “At the beginning of her treatment she found that really traumatic and really difficult.” — Rebecca
- “We have evidence that shows that where health play specialists are involved, a procedure like an MRI for example, can be conducted without anaesthetic.” — Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Starlight
