Choices for children with ongoing healthcare needs in north Wales

A new study led by Bangor University with a team of experts from across the UK seeks to ask children and their families about their preferences when it comes to their healthcare in north Wales.

Dr Llinos Spencer, the Research Officer for ‘My Choices’ Project at Bangor University said "The team specifically wants to talk with children and young people with complex healthcare needs, and their parents about the ’My Choices’ booklets that we have developed earlier this year. The interviews with children and families will be mainly to find out about their current and future care preferences”.

The project is funded by the Welsh Office for Research and Development. Professor Richard Hastings, from the School of Psychology a co-investigator on the project who has a special research interest in paediatric health psychology said: "Children with complex healthcare needs require specialist nursing and educational services, and how their care is provided, and the choices that they can make about their care depends very much on the area where they live”.

Sally Rees, who has a teenage son with complex healthcare needs said that “planning for the future is a very important aspect of care, and the My Choices booklets help you to think of different aspects of care in a proactive rather than a reactive way”.

Dr Llinos Spencer said “we would be very happy to hear from parents/guardians, and children/young people with complex healthcare needs who are between 0 and 25 years to let us know about their current and future care planning”.

If you are interested in helping the ‘My Choices’ project, please contact Dr Llinos Spencer, ‘My Choices’ Project, Centre for Health Related Research, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2EF. Tel: 01248 38 3171. E-mail: L.Spencer@bangor.ac.uk