Celebrating 170 years of the Jenny Lind Children's Hospital

17 Years

of the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital

In this magazine

• Our history

• The new paediatric theatres

• Advances in paediatric medicine

• Continuing Charity support

• Patient stories

It is with great pride that I write the introduction to this magazine for the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital 170th anniversary.

Our children’s hospital was the second children’s hospital to be established in England after Great Ormond Street Hospital, thanks to our 19th Century benefactor Swedish Opera singer Jenny Lind. Now, 170 years later, with all the children’s hospitals nationwide, we are part of a comprehensive network of specialised services, which are offered to our younger patients.

In 2023 more than 1000 babies were admitted to our NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where our specialist team have also successfully cared for some of the country’s smallest preterm babies, born at just 22 weeks.

Just this year we have opened our dedicated paediatric theatres complex with invaluable input on how to make it the most welcoming of places from our experts – our young patients. And all our work is underpinned by groundbreaking research. In 2023 more than 300 neonates and more than 160 children and young people were recruited into clinical research trials.

Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital in numbers

2nd oldest children’s hospital in the country behind Great Ormond Street Hospital

111,000 children treated annually

Some of the smallest preterm babies in the world (22 weeks) born here.

1013 babies admitted to NICU in 2023

The Jenny Lind has always maintained a special place in the heart of the Norfolk community, a fact borne out by the huge contributions made by fundraisers and supporters. The N&N Hospitals Charity has supported the hospital for many decades and its latest campaign is firmly aimed at improving patient experience with a focus on our ability to offer overnight accommodation for parents whose children are undergoing treatment with us.

Throughout the pages of this magazine you will get a feel for the dedication of the teams who care for our younger patients as well as insight into the impressive innovation, research and creativity that means we are able to continually expand and improve upon the services we offer.

Throughout 2024 we will be celebrating the work of the hospital and I hope you will be able to join us for some of our events.

In the meantime, I wish “The Jenny” and all within, a very Happy Birthday.

Tom Spink NNUH Chair

30,000 emergency admissions per year

11,000 per year inpatient and day case surgery

70,000 outpatients

Over 4 million children treated since 1854

Tom Spink NNUH Chair

Jenny Lind was born out of wedlock to a resourceful, feisty mother and absent father. Her home life was rocky, at times violent and impoverished, but not without some saving graces, not least her ability to sing. “As a child, I sang with every step I took, with every jump my feet made.” At the age of 10 she was accepted into the Royal Theatre School, Stockholm and went on to make her professional debut at the age of 17. During this time, she sadly lost her little sister Amalia to cholera.

Jenny’s talent, rigour, and luminescent presence, catapulted her to international stardom long before there was such a thing as an A-lister. A prolific philanthropist, she was especially moved that her concerts in Norwich raised a handsome sum that founded The Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital.

“She said of all the money which God allowed me to give away when my poor throat could call an audience to listen to it’s production, none has borne a nobler or more genuine fruit than the Jenny Lind Hospital of Norwich.”

As her descendant, I’m delighted to be celebrating the hospital’s 170th birthday. Long may it continue to bless the health and happiness of your children – the most vulnerable and talented of us!

Emma Laird Craig

Actress and direct descendant of Jenny Lind

Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital Structure Welcome introduction

When it was a stand alone hospital, the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital maintained close links with the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, sharing staff and facilities for many decades. Since it merged with the N&N in 1975 its boundaries have become less defined. Medical and surgical care for children is now carried out across many departments within what is now the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).

The JLCH also interacts with other hospitals nationwide, so we are able to access specialist services not currently available in the East of England, for example transplant surgery. In turn we provide specialist services to others around the region. We are similar in structure to many other children’s hospitals around the country as part of a larger university hospital, but retain the child and family focus important for looking after children and young adults.

Emma Laird Craig Descendant of Jenny Lind

Did you know our Children’s Hospital was originally called The Jenny Lind Infirmary?

It changed it’s name to The Jenny Lind Hospital for Children around 1918.

The original logo - seen here, was used on the bedspreads and around the hospital.

Our modern beach hut logo was designed in 2009 by Hannah Giffard and Paul Rodgers.

Jenny Lind Infirmary Logo

The new £8.6m Jenny Lind Paediatric Theatre Complex has been opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony supported by its very first patients.

Ronnie Cooper and Henriette Johnson, held the ribbon for NNUH Clinical Lead Caroline Banson to cut, allowing everyone into the new complex which consists of a twin paediatric theatre suite, a recovery unit and associated staff and patient facilities.

The centre opened at 7.30am on Tuesday 9 January, with full lists being run in both theatres by the team which includes:

• 4 senior staff

• 1 Practice Development and Education support worker

• 10 Theatre Nurses and Operating Department Practitioners

• 1 Nursing Associate

• 2 First Post newly qualified staff

• 3 Theatre Support Workers

NNUH Chief Executive Lesley Dwyer CEO said:

“This is a major development for paediatrics at the N&N. Not only will this unit provide the very latest equipment, it will do so in an environment which is vibrant, engaging and welcoming for our younger patients and supports our ambition to be a leading provider of specialist paediatric care in the East of England.”

Caroline said:

“It is a big day for all of us and I would like to thank everyone involved who has helped us reach this point.

I am really proud of the unit, which has been created very much with our younger patients at the heart of our decision-making. It also provides a much better working space for our teams.”

Thanks to a £160,000 grant from N&N Hospitals Charity, both theatres will have audio-visual equipment installed, ensuring that these new operating facilities can be used for training and education, recording, conferencing, improved digital documentation and improved visual clarity for the whole team.

Part of the grant has also paid for engaging artwork by Norfolk artist Toby Rampton and Norfolk storyteller Amanda Smith, who has provided a narrative to run alongside the artwork.

Caroline added:

“We are extremely grateful to the Charity for this grant as artwork like this really transforms a unit which has a younger audience.”

Mr Richard England, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, said: “Working in this new space designed specifically for children is a real joy. The whole team is focused on the child and the new equipment is improving the safety of every operation. We are also so much closer to the paediatric ward improving the whole pathway.”

Timeline: 1829 - Jenny’s beautiful singing voice discovered and offered a place at the theatre school where she becomes an opera singer.

The Charity Team said:

“We are extremely pleased to see how donations to our charity have made it possible for enhancements to be made to the new surgical theatres for the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital.

We hope that the installation of the wonderful artwork by Toby Rampton and words by Amanda Smith have made the hospital environment a friendlier place for children and families at what can be a very stressful time.

“We also look forward to seeing how the audio-visual equipment that we have funded for each of the new theatres will enhance the ability to train and develop NHS staff for many years to come.”

The new team will carry out theatre procedures initially over five days a week, including orthopaedics. The opening of this new complex will also provide additional capacity to theatres more generally as paediatric patients will now move out of general theatres to be treated in these new facilities.

Sustainability is also high on the agenda with Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist Dr Amy Greengrass leading the way. The team will be continuing with waste segregation to recycle as much as possible. We also aim to use cylinders of nitrous oxide (gas and air) to avoid leakages and waste of a potent greenhouse gas known to be associated with piped nitrous oxide.

Paediatric Anaesthesia

There is a friendly team of paediatric anaesthetists that support the work of the Jenny Lind. They are most often found in the operating theatres supporting children through a variety of types of surgery but you might meet them first in the paediatric preassessment clinic. They also assist with anaesthesia for scans which some children might find challenging while awake. They also work in supporting the paediatric doctors with critically unwell children on the ward.

One of the group, Dr Amy Greengrass, leads for the Trust on sustainability and has changed the way we work in theatres and elsewhere around the hospital. She continues to drive this important work forward with the children we look after who will be the beneficiaries in the future.

The team has enjoyed moving into the new two-theatre paediatric complex and look forward to making this a welcome place for children and their families.

Research at JLCH

Research-active hospitals - better for patients

There is evidence to demonstrate that patients admitted to more research-active hospitals have more confidence in staff, are better informed about their condition and treatment and have better outcomes overall.

During 2023, our JLCH had 30 Clinical Research Studies recruiting participants.

301 Neonates and 165 Children and Young people were recruited into Clinical Research Trials at NNUH during 2023.

We have 4 NICU Research Nurses, 2 Paediatric Research Nurses, 1 Clinical Research Practitioner and 1 Research Administrator working within our Team.

Our Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital has over 90 members of staff accredited for research practice.

In 2022/2023, our NICU Research Team recruited 32 participants into the worldwide Harmonie Vaccine Trial.

This trial demonstrated that Nirsevimab delivers 83% reduction in RSV infant hospitalisations compared to infants who received no RSV intervention in a real-world clinical trial setting.

This vaccine is now routinely being administered in some countries across the world and is awaiting approval to be added to the UK immunisation schedule.

The research carried out within the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital enables us to safely collect information, following strict regulations, to gain knowledge and understanding about how we can consistently develop and enhance the high standard of care and treatment options for our babies, children, and young people.

Our Paediatric Research Team delivers Commercial and Non-commercial studies, with the support of our multidisciplinary specialist teams. We have a dedicated NICU Clinical Research Facility. Some studies include questionnaires or monitoring aspects of patient care, while others involve a few extra procedures or testing a device or medication.

One of our Paediatric Mental Health studies, ‘MAPS’ (Mental Health Admissions to Paediatric Wards Study) aims to generate a Theory of Change (ToC) model to improve the quality of care for Children and Young People admitted to acute paediatric services after presenting in a Mental Health crisis.

Another of our commercial studies is a Phase 2 Dose Finding Study, Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Linaclotide in Paediatric Subjects aged six months to less than two years of age, who suffer with functional constipation. There are no current, approved therapies to treat this young age range in the United States or the European Union.

If patients are eligible for any studies, a member of the clinical research team will approach families to discuss this and offer an opportunity to take part. Parents or carers are provided with enough information to make an informed choice about participation. Choosing to take part in clinical research might have benefits for the participant, and information gathered could help to shape the future of specialised care for premature and poorly babies, children, and young people.

SurePulse Cap

Pre-term baby involved in NICU research now giving cheeky smiles at home. Leia Tritton, who was born in February 2023 by emergency Caesarean section at just 28 weeks’ gestation with very low birth weight was involved in SurePulse research investigating use of a cutting edge cap to wirelessly monitor her heart rate.

Leia was one of 31 pre-term babies involved in the research, which found 86% of staff noted the heart rate signal was available all or most of the time. Most of the staff reported that the cap was easy or very easy to fit and worked well even when breathing apparatus was needed.

World-first research participant celebrates 4th birthday

Happy birthday to Oscar who was the first baby in the world to take part in a cannabis-based medicine trial after his birth four years ago.

Oscar was delivered by emergency caesarean section on 11 March 2020 and was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to be treated for Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE).

He was given cooling therapy for 72 hours and within hours of his birth he was enrolled in a research study to receive a cannabis-derived medicine. The drug is delivered intravenously and aims to prevent seizures of babies with HIE.

Two babies at NNUH took part in the randomised study four years ago, which was funded and sponsored by GW Pharmaceuticals and supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

His mum Chelsea Parodi, of Watton, Norfolk, said: “Oscar is doing absolutely amazing! He’s full of energy, he’s into hot wheels cars and he’s doing well at nursery school.”

“We often talk to him about how special he is and we have a photo book from when he was a baby, which he likes to look through. He was in hospital for eight or nine days and he was being monitored 24/7. He is doing really well and we are really grateful to the whole NICU team for their support during those difficult first days.”

The research that Oscar took part in when he was born was the first step that could one day lead to a cannabis-derived medicine being used routinely in neonatal care to help babies at risk of seizures and brain injury.

The history of paediatric education in Norfolk

Education in the care of children and the illnesses they suffer has a perhaps surprisingly long history in Norfolk. The first ever English text book of paediatrics “The Boke of Chyldren,” was published by Norwich born physician Thomas Phaire in 1553. More recently the Norfolk Paediatric Education Group (NPEG) lectures are a significant modern development in this long legacy.

After service in the Royal Army Medical Corp during the Second World War, Dr Quinton decided to follow a career in paediatrics. He trained at St Thomas’ Hospital and Great Ormond Street before establishing the first specialist paediatric consultant post in East Anglia at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital. This coincided with the advent of the NHS in 1948, a change through which he calmly steered the hospital. He was known for his teaching as well as his gentle ‘Grandfatherly’ nature. For instance, he was horrified to find the student nurses were made to do night shifts and asked Matron to put a stop to the practice. When the Jenny Lind merged with the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital in1975 they named the 0-2 year olds ward after him.

Professor Paul Clarke, Consultant Neonatologist at NNUH, said:

“We are proud to have recruited the very first babies into this study and it is hoped this cannabis-derived medicine will be good for preventing seizures and protecting the brains of new-born babies with HIE.”

John FP Quinton (on the right) (1916-1998)

The Boke of Chyldren

Jenny arrives in Norwich as part of a tour of Britain and performed three concerts at St Andrew’s Hall.

Round up of charity activity

The Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity supports even better care for patients at the N&N, Cromer and Jenny Lind Children’s Hospitals. It is able to do this thanks to donations, grants, legacies, and everyone who helps to raise money to support patients, their families and NHS staff.

This support enables us to fund state-of-the-art medical equipment, staff welfare and development opportunities, innovative research projects and to enhance the environment and facilities.

Just as donations from Jenny Lind’s concerts went to create the first children’s hospital in Norwich 170 years ago, donations still play a huge part in what we do to support our patients and staff.

We have been able to provide a wonderful playground in the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital; foldaway beds for parents to stay with children on the ward; mobile chemotherapy units so children can move around while undergoing treatment; items to support our play specialists; and most recently, equipment and artwork for the new paediatric operating theatres which opened in January.

Our major appeal this year is to increase the provision of accommodation for parents for when their child is undergoing treatment.

We currently offer McKee House, a five-bedroom property just a two-minute walk from the N&N, but with demand so high, our latest appeal aims to raise enough funds to enable us to help meet this demand.

Julie Cooper, Head of Charity, said:

“Some of our children can be in hospital for weeks or even months at a time, with some of our young patients coming from other counties, including Suffolk and Essex, so having somewhere to stay close by can make a huge difference at such a worrying time.”

If you would like to support our appeal for parent accommodation, you can make a donation at www.justgiving.com/campaign/children-families or contact charity@nnuh.nhs.uk for more information.

Gifts in Wills for the Jenny Lind

We have been fortunate to receive legacy gifts for the Jenny Lind from Hazel Eke and from Raymond and Marion Durrant.

Hazel Eke started as a trainee student nurse at the N&N in 1954, going on to work at a number of other hospitals before returning to work in care homes in Norwich and Wymondham.

Her daughter Debbie told us how much her mother had enjoyed being a nurse and we are very grateful that Hazel wanted to leave a gift in her will to benefit children in our hospitals.

Raymond Durrant and his wife Marion wanted to leave a legacy gift for the Jenny Lind on their deaths as a thank you for the treatment Marion received in 1931.

She spent several weeks on the children’s ward when she was two years old, having contracted meningitis.

Raymond and Marion had more than 50 happy years together and their legacy will benefit children being treated in our hospitals for many years to come.

Round up of charity activity

Sofia Honey

Sofia Honey Adcock has raised thousands of pounds for the Children’s Hospital over the years, following her leukaemia diagnosis and treatment.

Sofia Honey wanted to raise money to buy toys and activities for inpatients because, when she was in the hospital, the toys were too young for her to play with.

She set about creating boxes filled with Fidgets, Uno, colouring books and other items to keep children occupied.

Each Christmas, Sofia Honey and her mum deliver selection boxes and “bravery” boxes containing toys and activities suitable for all age ranges, from babies to teenagers.

Marathon challenge for NICU

Evie joins famous faces for Rankin exhibition

Former Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital patient Evie Youngs featured alongside Michael Palin and England footballer Jordan Henderson in an exhibition by internationally renowned photographer Rankin and NHS Charities Together, celebrating 75 years of NHS charities.

Evie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2022. Since then she has made a full recovery and raised more than £8,000 for the Children’s Hospital.

She said: “I decided to fundraise because I just wanted to thank the staff for all the help they had given me. They make you so comfortable at such a terrible time and were honestly like family. The hospital became like my second home. I feel really proud that I’ve been able to help other children and give something back.”

Evie was among 14 people featured in ‘Love and Charity: A History of Giving in the NHS’ – an exhibition in 2023 which celebrated the vital role charities have played throughout the health service’s history.

Farmer Ian Metson, completed the London Marathon in 4hrs 19mins, raising a fantastic £2,613 for our NICU, part of our Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital which treats our smallest babies.

Ian was inspired to support the unit after the team cared for Teddie, the son of shepherdess Hannah Whiteley and her partner Frasier, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Brain-lung-thyroid syndrome. Teddie, Hannah and Frasier all spent 71 days at the N&N before Teddie was transferred back to paediatrics at Broomfield. Hannah, from Essex, said: “For the first four weeks, we were in a room on NICU and then in McKee House.”

Cubs bring back bob-a-job week

The 8th Norwich Sea Scouts (Cubs Section) brought back bob-a-job week to celebrate their own 100th birthday, while raising £1,000 for the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital.

Almost 100 Cubs voted to support the children’s hospital and carried out jobs for family and friends from April to June last year.

The initiative saw the Cubs take on car washing, gardening, cooking and cleaning among other jobs.

Timeline: 1853 - Meeting decides to use Jenny Lind’s charity concert fund to establish a Children’s Hospital in Norwich.

“We are delighted to support the parent accommodation appeal which does so much to help families living their lives in the four walls of the ward until their babies are well enough to move on.”

2024 – Calendar of events

Walking tour Dates

Wed 3 April, 2pm –all proceeds to Jenny Lind Hospital

Sat 4 May, 10am

Sat 27 July, 10am –

Norfolk Day, all proceeds to Jenny Lind Hospital

Fri 9 August, 10am

Sat 26 October, 10am

Tours start at the Erpingham Gate of Norwich Cathedral in Tombland (across the road from the Maids Head Hotel) and will last approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Concert

A walk with Norwich tour guide, Paul Dickson, celebrating 170 years of the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital. The tour includes the story of Jenny Lind’s concerts in Norwich in 1847 and 1849 and the foundation of the Jenny Lind Hospital; visits to the old Bishop’s Palace where Jenny Lind stayed (courtesy of Norwich School) and Norwich Cathedral to view the memorial window to Bishop Stanley, who was Jenny Lind’s host. We will also go to the Norfolk Heritage Centre at The Forum to view the original posters promoting the Jenny Lind concerts; finishing with a walk to Pottergate to see the site of the original Jenny Lind Hospital.

Ticket £12. Book via www.pauldicksontours.co.uk, paul@pauldicksontours.co.uk

Storyteller

Inspiring children to develop a love of reading, Read for Good Storyteller Amanda Smith uses books and stories to brighten children’s time in hospital. As part of our anniversary celebrations she has been telling the Jenny Lind story to our young patients.

Amanda has been telling stories at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital since 2015. She is one of a team of Storytellers who work in all 30 of the UK’s major children’s hospitals as well as schools across the country.

Jenny Lind team host successful stand at Science Festival

Anjay Pillai, Consultant

Paediatrician, and his colleagues wowed members of the public with gadgets and technology on their stand at the 2024 Norwich Science Festival, which was one of the first events taking place as part of our celebrations to mark the 170th anniversary of the opening of the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital.

A team of nurses, healthcare assistants, paediatricians, paediatric surgeons and paediatric radiologists were in attendance on the Jenny Lind stall at the Forum.

“Children were fascinated by the activities on offer and there was enthusiastic participation in ‘Spot the organ’, reviewing the “Bristol stool chart,” picking up sugar cubes using key hole surgery, ultrasound scans on a dummy, making mock

Park run

Colney Lane

April 6

999 calls and solving an emergency themed word game,” said Anjay Pillai, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory.

Kat Kitchener, Children and Young Persons Matron, who helped co-ordinate participation at the festival, added: “We had so many children and families come and visit our stall. It was great to be out in the community, talking to children about their health and keeping their bodies healthy. We were all really impressed by the knowledge and skills of the young people we spoke to. We’re hoping some of them will be our nurses and doctors of the future.”

Also as part of Norwich Science Festival, Anjay presented a sell out talk on developments in paediatrics since the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital opened.

London Land Marks

Half Marathon

April 7

Patient Story: Torben and Soren Nielsen - Paediatric General Surgery

At times it has felt like we may have had a season ticket for the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital, probably something nobody wants. Our boys, Torben and Soren were born at 32 weeks in 2013. They had a pretty tough start with both having major surgery within the first two days of life. Whilst Soren’s path following six weeks in the NICU has luckily been plain sailing, Torben had other ideas. Following nine weeks in NICU, and one brief admission to Buxton ward, Torben stopped breathing at home aged 13 weeks. If it wasn’t for the team

in A&E at the NNUH, staff from NICU and then onwards to Addenbrookes I don’t feel he would still be here today. Since our month in Addenbrookes we have had a few more stays in Buxton ward over the years, but luckily as Torben gets older, these are becoming few and far between. The boys are now active 10-year olds who love badminton, basketball, swimming, karate and riding their bikes. We are forever grateful to all the staff who have been involved in both the boys’ care and will never be able to thank you all enough.

Mr Mathur in training

The history of Jenny Lind - and birth of a hospital

The legacy of the Swedish Nightingale

Why celebrate our Children’s Hospital’s birthday?

Looking back helps us to look forward with a new perspective. Our modern difficulties are not so new and have been faced before. But also having a sense of pride is important.

Where did we come from? How did it all start? Well, let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there lived a young girl called Jenny… Jenny Lind’s early life in Sweden was difficult in many ways. Her mother didn’t want to look after her and so Jenny lived in the countryside, and when she was three she went to live with her grandmother, who encouraged her singing and piano playing. One day, just by chance, a passer by heard Jenny’s beautiful singing and gave her the opportunity to audition for a place at the theatre school in Stockholm. There she thrived despite the ill treatment she continued to suffer at the hands of her mother. By the time she was 17, Jenny had developed a talent for opera singing and she shot to stardom throughout Sweden where she became known as the Swedish Nightingale. Then disaster struck and she lost her voice!

Thankfully, a French singing tutor came to the rescue and her career was saved. But now, anxiety issues developed, and Jenny was reluctant to take on new roles. However, with encouragement from her friends, such as Hans Christian Andersen the children’s story writer, she overcame her fears and their friendship became part of his famous stories like The Ugly Duckling, The Nightingale and The Snow Queen, which was adapted to become the animated musical Frozen. So, Elsa was based on Jenny Lind. Soon Jenny was touring Europe, and friends with famous composers and royalty. Eventually she came to London and Jenny mania erupted, with sell-out shows and crowds hoping to get a glimpse of her. So, imagine what happened when she came to Norwich! The city was brought to a standstill and the people were so friendly to her she came back two years later to sing for charity. She raised so much money in just two concerts that the city decided to use the money to open a hospital for children. On April 3 1854, The Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children opened in Pottergate with 12 cots. Jenny Lind came to visit twice and was pleased the children were so well cared for in her ‘little hospital’. In fact, she wrote to the chairman of the management committee and said:

“Of all the money which God allowed me to give away when my poor throat could call an audience to listen to its production – none has borne a nobler or more genuine fruit than the Jenny Lind Hospital of Norwich.”

The hospital continued to thrive and relied on the generosity of the people of Norwich to support it. Complex surgical procedures were soon performed there, and the nurses battled daily to ensure infections didn’t spread in a time well before they had antibiotics.

By 1900 the first hospital was beyond repair and so Jeremiah Colman donated land at Unthank Road to build a new state of the art hospital. It was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales and Jenny Lind’s children attended. The hospital kept expanding, adding new facilities like an A&E, isolation ward, ENT ward and new theatres. Medical advances like x-rays and light therapy were adopted, continually improving the care provided. The hospital survived the world wars and then joined the NHS in 1948 although the need for charity support never diminished. Eventually it was decided to merge the Jenny Lind with the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital. Controversial, but over time the shared facilities have demonstrated many advantages for the care of children and their families.

Now, here at Colney Lane, we can look back with pride at the journey The Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital has taken over the last 170 years and we do have a fairy tale to tell. Richard England

The Jenny Lind Time Capsule

When the young Geoffrey Colman laid the foundation stone to the new Jenny Lind Infirmary for Children at Unthank Road, he also buried a time capsule! It consisted of a glass jar with cork stopper and sealed with red tape and wax. Inside were the following items:

An engraved brass plaque with the following inscription, “Jenny Lind Infirmary was founded 1853 / Rebuilt 1898 – foundation stone laid by G.R.R. Colman / Norwich Population 113,000 / Fastest Train to London 2 hrs 37 mins / Electric Tramways commenced / Price of large sheep 63 shillings / Bricklayers’ wages 7 1/2d per hour.”

A copy of the Eastern Daily Press newspaper dated December 13th 1898.

A copy of The Norwich and Eastern Counties ABC Railway Guide dated December 1898.

A black edged mourning envelope containing four coins – half a crown, a shilling, a sixpence and a penny, all dated 1898.

The time capsule was found by the site manager during demolition work at the Jenny Lind Hospital during the 1970s.

The foundation stones are now in place outside the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital and the time capsule (pictured above) is kept by Norfolk museums service.

Picture Courtesy of Norfolk Museums Service: Accession number NWHCM: 2008.494

Paediatrics and Gynaecology

Children’s Emergency Department (ChED)

Our Children’s Emergency Department is the front door to the hospital for families who are worried about their child due to illness or injury and need help.

We have an experienced team of children’s nurses, advanced care practitioners, healthcare assistants and doctors who have specialised in paediatric emergency medicine who quickly assess the patient and make a plan for their care. They are trained to deal with anything that comes in the door, from something relatively minor like a pea stuck up the nose or a small cut or bruise, to major problems like being injured in a car crash or twisted bowel. The patient may arrive in a parent’s arms or be brought in by air ambulance from the scene of an accident. They are then stabilised and initial treatment is given. Most children can go home following treatment but some will need a referral to our specialist Children’s Hospital teams who manage them on the Children’s Assessment Unit or our inpatient area Buxton Ward.

“We know that coming into CHED can be a very anxious time for our young patients. We have our area away from adult ED and we have child friendly decor, toys, books and games and support from our hospital play team to make the experience as positive as possible,” said Alice Cook, our Paediatric Emergency Matron.

Joe Smith ANP on Children’s Assessment Unit

My name is Joe and I’m one of a team of Paediatric Advanced Nurse Practitioners that work within the Children’s Assessment Unit. My role as a nurse practitioner is to assess, plan care and intervention and then discharge, admit or refer to another paediatric speciality of any infant, child or young person brought onto the unit. While working autonomously we also work alongside the medical team to support in the care of these children. As nurse practitioners we also bridge the gap between the medical and nursing team supporting effective multi-disciplinary working and communication.

Working with acutely unwell children can be a difficult job but the enjoyment and satisfaction that you get from seeing an improvement in the child’s health or by diagnosing and treating a problem is rewarding. Every day is different and I can be caring for a newborn baby requiring feeding support or phototherapy for jaundice, to caring for a child with an upper respiratory tract infection to then dealing with a medical emergency like a child having a seizure. The job is fast paced and at times stressful, but the team working together allows most problems or delays to be overcome. Interacting and communicating with the child and family is also important and making sure your communication is adjusted to the age, behaviour and needs of the child is imperative.

Another key part of our role within paediatrics as nurse practitioners is to support in teaching, leadership, research and audit with most of the practitioners having specialist areas of interest.

Overall the mix of clinical work and local service improvement through audit, quality improvement projects and education, make this a very fullfilling job and career.”

Community Paediatrics

The Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital team work closely with their counterparts in Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust (NCH&C) Community Paediatrics, who focus on holistic care for children with complex medical and developmental disorders.

The breadth of care delivered within community paediatrics is extremely wide. Multidisciplinary clinics for cerebral palsy and neurofibromatosis amongst other conditions, take place between NCH&C and Jenny Lind Childrens Hospital. Some clinics take place in schools and more recently we have established palliative care decision-making clinics for children and their families with the most severe and life limiting conditions.

“Care of children with complex needs encompasses all aspects of life, and community paediatricians provide a combination of medical and developmental assessment, signposting to allied services including charitable sector support, advocating for children’s needs within education and social care, specialist referrals and often just a listening ear and some practical advice,” said Barbie Watling, Consultant Paediatrician Consultant.

Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology (PAG)

Our department, led by Dr PS Arunakumari, a level three centre offering specialised care for children and young girls with often complex gynaecological problems.

We are one of the few nationally recognised PAG centres in the UK, taking referrals from our neighbouring hospitals across the region.

Previously these young patients had to travel either to Cambridge or London but since the establishment of the PAG Department within the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital these patients are now managed in-house. We also promote their transition to adult gynaecological care. As a specialty, PAG is one of the youngest specialties within paediatrics. However, in the last five years, the number of referrals has grown exponentially.

Allied Health Professionals – Dieticians

As a paediatric team of 14 dieticians and two dietetic assistants we cover the wide range of specialties managed by the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital.

These include gastroenterology, metabolic, oncology, weight management, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. We are actively involved in any nutritional research occurring on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, improving future patient care. As part of the allergy service we run face to face and video groups for patients with milk allergy; and we have provided training to health visitors and other staff to upskill them in this area. Some of our neonatal and ward patients have feeding difficulties and we work closely with our Speech and Language colleagues to care for these complex patients.

Grace Howes’ Story

Grace is our first SMA type 1 miracle patient. She attends mainstream school, in reception class. She is the first patient with SMA type 1 surviving so that she is old enough to attend school. This is partly due to the new medical therapies she has had access to with Spinraza, and then Zolgensma – a form of gene therapy (at Addenbrookes, and then GOSH respectively). Grace continues to have a daily physiotherapy regime to help maintain her range of movement and muscle strength. Part of her physiotherapy programme involves using her splints, standing frame and practicing sitting on a therapy bench. In addition to this she has a respiratory physiotherapy programme to help optimise her breathing and keep her chest clear.

1927 - ‘The Jenny Lind Book of Children’s Sayings’ published by Helen Colman in aid of the Children’s Hospital.

Paediatric Medicine at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital

The Paediatric Medicine team at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital is made up of 23 consultants covering General Paediatric Medicine and a large number of subspecialties. Our consultants are joined day and night by a small army of nurses, allied health professionals, advanced nurse practitioners, doctors in training, play specialists, healthcare assistants, administrative staff, and many others who make our hospital run.

Nick Schindler, Acute Paediatric Medicine Consultant, said:

“We do everything from High Dependency inpatient care to outpatient clinics and regular follow up of young people who live with life-long medical conditions. We get to know some of our families from the moment a child is born to the day they transition onto adult services at 16 (and sometimes even longer). Looking after the health of children is a team sport, and in the areas we don’t currently have highly specialised expertise from within our own team, we welcome regular visiting consultants from Great Ormond Street, Nottingham Children’s Hospital, The Evelina London, and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, to offer the very best care to the children and young people of Norfolk close to home.”

We also work closely with other teams who look after children such as the Children’s Emergency Department, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and the Community Paediatric team. Some of our consultants work across multiple teams, helping to ensure we all work as effectively as possible to provide excellent care in the most effective way possible.

As well as providing great clinical care, we are one of the largest paediatric training departments in the East of England, guiding and supporting medical students from UEA, Foundation Doctors, GPs in training, and Paediatric Doctors in Training.

Nick said: “As part of the wider NNUH teaching hospital we know that the only way to sustain and grow our service is to train those who will be looking after children and young people in the future.”

Jayden Greenwood is a 10-year old with a history of Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), which is a condition affecting the nerves, brain and skin.

He was diagnosed in 2019 and as part of his NF1 he was closely followed up by the Neurology and Ophthalmology teams at the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital. Late 2021, Jayden was displaying worrying visual symptoms so a scan was arranged. Sadly, this showed a Low Grade Glioma, a form of brain tumour.

The Jenny Lind Neurology, Ophthalmology and Oncology teams worked closely with Addenbrooke’s Oncology and Neurosurgical teams and a plan made to treat Jayden with 18 months of intravenous chemotherapy. The Paediatric Oncology team at JLCH were able to carry out his chemotherapy treatment close to his Norfolk home to avoid long, multiple trips to Addenbrooke’s.

“Jayden became a regular visitor to our weekly treatment clinic. He is a full of life character who made an impression with staff across the unit.

Timeline: 1948 - Jenny Lind Hospital for Children joins the NHS and John Quinton becomes the first Paediatrician.

Jayden Greenwood Oncology patient

Born at 22 + 2 weeks, Lilly Menear is the most premature baby our NICU has ever cared for.

“Her stay in NICU was challenging as we had never cared for a baby of that gestation. We had to create lots of innovations in equipment and procedures to be able to help her, and also this was during Covid when parents had restricted access to NICU. Seeing her now as a beautiful strong four-year-old makes all the effort certainly worthwhile. Her journey so far is an inspiration for many of us,” said Paediatric Consultant Priya Muthukumar, who led the team caring for Lilly.

Lilly’s mum Tayla picks up the story: “We had very little support, except for the NICU outreach team who came to our house while we faced challenges like pulmonary hypertension, chronic lung disease, and hospital admissions due to winter bugs. Lilly bounced back with the continued support from the Jenny Lind team.”

Since leaving the NICU, Lilly has achieved all her milestones at her own pace, which her parents Tayla and Shaun were uncertain she would ever reach.

Tayla said: “Lilly has grown into the kindest, funniest little girl who brings smiles to everyone around her.”

We frequently return to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where Lilly receives ongoing support from the Jenny Lind Children’s department. Lilly visits various professionals who monitor her weight, medical conditions, and development.

“Many of the medical conditions stemming from her premature birth at 22 weeks are either stable or resolving with age, a wish come true.”

Now off oxygen full time unless very unwell, Lilly’s next adventure is full-time school in September.

“Without the dedicated staff at Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital, we wouldn’t have had the chance to witness Lilly reaching milestones, laughing, playing, and embarking on her school journey.”

“We are forever grateful to every single member of the staff who played a part in Lilly’s chance at life. Lilly has been amazingly supported by the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital since her worrying arrival four years ago, and Shane and I will always be grateful for that.”

“His mother Shirley, who was so thankful to all the staff who cared for Jayden during his treatment, said it was lovely to see the relationships he built up with staff which included the Oncology team, Play Specialists, Children’s Assessment Unit, Children’s Day Ward, and Buxton teams,” said Kate Stanton, our Paediatric Oncology Nurse Specialist.

She added: “The treatment was quite gruelling at times and Jayden would struggle with the numerous visits and the side effects from his treatment. Shirley is grateful to Paediatric Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialists Kate Stanton and Holly Woolsey, and the Play Team for the distraction techniques used when Jayden was finding it all too much. There were many games and tasks designed to make treatment a little easier. These even included races on how quickly we could get Jayden in and out of the treatment room in outpatients.”

“Despite having to go through this difficult treatment journey, Shirley and Jayden have found it in their hearts to help others and are always giving back to the JLCH by making many donations of toys over the last two years to help other children faced with a difficult stay themselves.”

Lilly Rae (NICU 22 weeker)

Timeline: 1971 - Jenny Lind Hospital memorabilia included in the Castle Museum Exhibition for the 200th anniversary of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Surgery and Allied teams

Audiology/ENT

The Paediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) team led by Mike Wickstead provides surgical and medical management for ENT problems in infancy and childhood from common surgical procedures such as insertion of grommets for glue ear and tonsillectomies to more complex procedures such as surgery of the eardrum and the middle ear ossicles, the smallest bones in the human body.

One very exciting area that’s rapidly evolving is the paediatric implantable hearing aid service led by Junaid Hanif. Mr Hanif is responsible for surgical implantation of an attachment which connects to an external hearing aid component. He said: “This has been a joint ENT and Audiology venture and we’re excited for the future.”

Paediatric General Surgery

The six paediatric general surgeons who work at the Jenny Lind carry out perhaps the widest range of surgical procedures in any of the surgical specialties. We can be operating on problems affecting the neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and limbs - all in one week! In addition, our patients range from premature babies born at 22 weeks to adolescents up to 16-years old. That’s quite a difference.

Three of us specialise in urology – problems affecting the kidneys and bladder. The other three surgeons cover the chest and gut disorders, often with keyhole surgery.

Paediatric Ophthalmology

We focus mainly on the first years of visual development in children. These include squint surgery, oculoplastics, retinal laser for premature babies, autoimmune inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, neuro-ophthalmology and paediatric cataract surgery.

“We are a specialist tertiary regional service for paediatric ophthalmology and are increasingly taking on more regional services, and we are also a sub-specialist training unit,” said Narman Puvanachandra, Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist.

Orthopaedics

Our treatments, surgical and otherwise, are all aimed at helping children whose limbs or spine are not growing or working as they should in order to help improve their everyday activities. We perform a number of different surgical procedures including surgery to break and re-set bones and joints, lengthen bones or change the way muscles and tendons act.

“We have grown from a single-surgeon service to a regional network offering elective orthopaedics across Norfolk and Suffolk, as well as providing the East of England’s only dedicated on-call Orthopaedic service for children. We have carried out internationally renowned research as we continue to strive to improve our patient journey and service at the NNUH,” said Helen Chase, Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Surgery and Allied teams

Norfolk and Waveney Community Dental Services

CDS Community Interest Company is a social enterprise, 100% owned by its employees and is a leading provider of community dental services across much of the East of England and the Midlands.

A referral only service, our patients typically have complex needs such as learning disabilities, mental health issues or are in social care. Our aim is to support our patients to receive the oral health care they need to improve their overall health and to thrive. We treat patients in our clinics, taking the time they need to help them accept treatment, provide care under sedation and work closely with hospital colleagues to treat those patients who require a general anaesthetic.

Our oral health teams are also out and about in the community sharing information on correct toothbrushing techniques and dietary advice. www.communitydentalservices.co.uk

Maxillofacial Service

Our Paediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, led by Mr David McAnerney, provide care to paediatric and young adult patients. We diagnose and treat most elective referrals here. This includes diagnosis and management of oral lesions and complex surgical extractions of additional, or wrongly positioned teeth.

We work closely with community dental services, providing additional support when needed with the anaesthetic team to ensure medically compromised and high-risk dental patients are managed in a safe and protected environment.

Plastic Surgery

There are currently four Consultant Plastic Surgeons with a paediatric interest whilst the whole 15-strong consultant body all contribute to paediatric emergency care.

Sam Norton, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon said: “There is a regular congenital upper limb combined clinic with Paediatric Orthopaedics and dedicated congenital hand clinics in development. Tertiary expertise is also provided in ear reconstruction, vascular anomalies including a laser service and scar management, paediatric facial palsy management as well as a diagnostic service for skin conditions for our Dermatology colleagues.”

Paediatric Radiology

The Paediatric radiology team has been growing steadily over the past few years. We have six paediatric radiologists who work hard to deliver the best care possible for children coming through our department. Our department provides access to plain film, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, CT, MRI and nuclear medicine services. Increasingly more children are having procedures under interventional radiology. Our goals for the future are to continue to work closely with our paediatric physician and surgical colleagues to deliver excellent and compassionate care to all children presenting to the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital, as well as supporting some of the smaller regional hospitals.

Community dental team working in theatres in the Jenny Lind hospital

Timeline: 1987 - Centenary anniversary of the death of Jenny Lind. Concerts in Norwich Cathedral and a Children’s Concert at St Andrew’s Hall.

A Personal Journey of a Children’s Nurse - Sandra-Jane Stock, Nurse - Buxton ward

I remember the old Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital on Unthank Road. In the mid-1960s, I was a patient there three times over three years. Because I used to sleep-walk on my second admission I was put in a cot. I clearly remember how disgruntled I felt to be treated like a baby at the age of five. I also remember being promised ice-cream if I ate toast after having my tonsils out. I ate the toast but the ice-cream never materialised. The last abiding memory was being with my parents as they spoke to the doctor and nurse in an office, before I was taken to the ward and told to wave good bye through the window. I was determined then, that if I ever became a nurse, I would not treat children the way I had been treated.

As a teenager I did a lot to help my mother who had MS and while at 6th form at Notre Dame High School I did work experience at The Great Hospital in Norwich. I worked on the hospital ward and learned a lot about caring for people’s hygiene and dietary needs. This experience confirmed my belief that I wanted to be a Nurse.

In the early 1980s, London hospitals were considered the best place for Nurse Training. I applied to St Mary’s in Paddington, was accepted and commenced my State Registered Nurse training in October 1982.

Uniforms were very different back then - starched aprons, starched collars with collar studs and caps that we had to stitch and pull into pleats.

The equipment we used was also different – mercury thermometers, mercury sphygmomanometers for measuring blood pressure and there were no infusion machines. Even on the children’s wards the most technical piece of equipment was an apnoea mattress.

Children had infusions running through burettes and we had to work out how many mls per hour and how many drops per ml per minute. We would stand, holding our fob watches behind the drip counter, counting the drops. Urinalysis was undertaken by putting a reagent tablet into the urine, heating it over a Bunsen burner and comparing the colour with a chart on the wall. Yes, we are only talking 40 years ago.

My post-reg children’s training was very similar to my general. Pre-packed feeds were still a long way off and every day the milk kitchen would make up 24 hours’ worth of feeds in glass bottles with rubber teats, which were kept in the fridge. Babies were fed depending on clinical need and the appropriate number of bottles made up.

The first time I used machinery for monitoring was in my last but one placement – neonatal surgical intensive care; cardiac monitors and oxygen saturation monitors. The oxygen monitors would get very hot and the sites had to be changed hourly. Babies were nursed exposed, but we used bubble wrap to keep them warm.

My career has taken me along many paths. When I started nursing in 1982, I could never have envisaged the technological, social and educational advances that would occur over the following 42 years.

I had to take ill health retirement, but have returned to Norfolk and the Jenny Lind children’s hospital as a Health Care Assistant. In some ways I have come full circle. I started as a carer and I will finish my NHS career as a carer, working in the very modern Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital.

Caring for our patients our Health Care Assistants

What is it like to be nursed as a child?

Looking back to when I was a patient on the children’s ward. It was always busy. Right from when the cleaner came in and opened the curtains. Then there was the smell of toast. The nurses were incredible, with their reassuring presence and smiles. Having procedures or dressing changes was always traumatic but they did what they could to make it OK. Trying to make me laugh or giving me a hug. There were fun times as well, Sister even turned a blind eye when we had a water fight with syringes. The nurses were like angels - coming into our life at the right time, carrying us through and then leaving again.

Nina Chambers is a Healthcare Assistant on Buxton Ward. And nothing is more rewarding than seeing the young patients she helps smile.

“We HCAs are the eyes and ears of the patients on the ward. We report patient observations and essential information to our nurses to help facilitate care for our patients.”

She added: “I love working as part of a big team where we each carry a caring heart and help come together to support each and everyone one of the children as well as their families. We’re on the ward to give our patients a helping hand and take some weight off their shoulders in what might be one of the most unsettling times for them and their families.

“One of the best days for me was when I had just started and one of our PAT (Pets as Therapy) dogs visited the ward. It was fantastic seeing all the children beam.”

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

We are a busy Level 3 Tertiary centre for Neonatal Intensive Care and surgery. That means we take babies needing highly-specialised care. We have 42 cots which consists of

• 9 Intensive Care

• 6 High-Dependency

• 19 Special Care

• 8 Transitional Care

We provide care for babies across the region and provide intensive care for babies at the James Paget Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and Ipswich Hospital.

We have over 1000 admissions a year. We also provide care in the community with our Outreach team.

Last year they made over 1200 visits and enabled over 400 families to continue care in their home. We are recipients of the Bliss Gold standard with a dedicated Family care team and team of nurses trained in Family Infant Neurodevelopment Education.

“Our NICU is an integral part of NIHR Clinical Research facility which enables us to better support Early Phase Studies in Neonates and develop in-house neonatal research projects with the Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park and the UEA. We have an active research portfolio and are currently recruiting to five studies on NICU,” said NICU Matron Paula Mellor. She added: “We want to see our NICU expand to facilitate the growing needs of the population we serve and with that increased support and input from the AHPs-OT, Physio, Pharmacy, Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy teams.”

Clinical Psychology, Learning Difficulties, Autism, and Mental Health

Children who have a physical health problem are more likely to overcome challenges if their health care addresses both their physical and psychological well-being.

Paediatric Clinical Psychologists started building their service in 2010, which now covers several clinical specialities including a range of long-term conditions such as Type 1 diabetes and Epilepsy, as well as more acute presentations such as Oncology and supporting parents who have babies in NICU. Their role is to maximize health outcomes, minimise the emotional consequences of living with a medical condition and improve the quality of life for children, young people and their relatives. They aim to bridge the gap, helping families navigate the often complex world that is Medicine.

The Learning Disability and Autism Specialist team first launched in January 2019, with the aim to facilitate equitable access to health services across the hospital. The service currently has a Children and Young People’s Learning Disability and Autism Clinical Nurse Specialist, and a Learning Disability and Autism Matron. The service also supports children as they transition into adulthood, with an Adult Learning Disability and Autism Clinical Nurse Specialist in post, to ensure individual needs are met across the lifespan. The service works closely with patients, families/carers and professionals to improve access to healthcare including face to face support. The service values holistic, individualised care, which meets the needs of every patient.

The PaMHS (Paediatric Mental Health Service) first launched in June 2023. With a background of a notable increase in mental health attendances and admissions to Paediatrics it was felt to be paramount that there was specialist input available in a timely and flexible manner to young people presenting with complex mental health and emotional needs. PaMHS currently has two specialist mental health clinicians and provides direct face to face support, as well as consultation, advice and training across Paediatrics. PaMHS prides itself on providing holistic and patient centred support, working proactively and creatively to meet previously unmet needs for this group of young people.

“And the team have been fantastic. They are so supportive and take a holistic approach to Joshua’s needs. It is not just about the physical side of this, it is the psychological aspect as well.”

Two years ago Joshua Allen, from Watton, Norfolk, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after being taken quite ill.

Described as a little “superhero,” he, his family and the Jenny Lind team around him have never let this get in the way of a normal life.

Joshua and his parents Chris and Toni manage his condition with regular doses of insulin, given through something called a Closed Loop System. The insulin is administered to Joshua via a pump. This pump is linked to an App, which allows Chris and Toni to keep an eye on his condition

as well as inputting valuable data on what Joshua is eating and at what times of the day. This informs the pump of the correct dose.

Joshua also has continuous glucose monitoring which will be the case for the rest of his life.

“This has been an absolute lifeline for us,” said Toni. “It is two years since Joshua was diagnosed so this is a real milestone for us. He is such a happy little boy. We call him our superhero because he takes this all in his stride; he has finger prick tests and a cannula replaced regularly, but never complains.”

Joshua Allen - Diabetes patient

The future: our strategy

Children matter – Our Five Year Plan

We are proud to publish our Five Year Plan2024-2029, which has been developed with valuable contributions from our children’s services team, divisional management and allied specialities teams and will be reviewed by our family voice partners.

Our Strategic vision is to provide the “Best care for every child and young person.” This clinical strategy sets out how we are going to achieve that by delivering the following objectives:

• Reinforcing the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital’s reputation as a centre of excellence for general and paediatric care in the UK by strengthening our services and expanding our research.

• Minimising the impact of health inequality on physical and mental health by ensuring our services are integrated with seamless pathways within the hospital and collaborating with the Integrated Care Systems across the East of England.

• Enhancing the experience, access and outcome of children, young people and their families by increasing the Jenny Lind footprint including NICU, building a dedicated adolescent diabetic and positive health centre, purpose-built parental accommodation and Phase 2 of our new Paediatric theatres.

• Ensuring we have a plan for a diverse, resilient and flexible children’s workforce with appropriate skill mix.

The challenges in achieving recovery amidst the current financial and workforce landscape are enormous, but so is the passion and commitment from our workforce who always go above and beyond and work with PRIDE values by being People focused, act Respectfully, work with Integrity and be Dedicated to provide Excellent care always. We will endeavour to embed sustainable models of care wherever possible.

We believe our strategy can only be delivered in partnership, which is more important than ever at Trust, system, regional and national level. We will always strive to lead, advocate and influence for children and young people.

We wish the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital a very happy 170th Birthday.

Priya Muthukumar, Chief of Service, Paediatrics

Acknowledgements and Notes on Permissions

Acknowledgements and Notes on Permissions

Grateful thanks go to everyone who has taken the time to contribute to this publication including Norfolk Artist Toby Rampton

Kieron Tovell Photography

Tadeusz Kaznowski and Norwich Sinfonietta

Emma Laird Craig

N&N Charity Team

Emma Jarvis Arts curator

Edited by Richard England

Karen Hindle

Design and layout by NNUH Medical Illustration’s Ann Haynes

Patient Panel Members

Lilian Hodgson, Eva Zaprel and Rosemary Moore

Also thanks to Norfolk Records Office for their kind permission to use Jenny Lind documents from their archive.

Timeline: 2024 - Celebration of the 170th Birthday of the Jenny Lind Hospital and the opening of new dedicated paediatric theatres.

Jenny Lind in the opera ‘La Fille Du Regiment’ (Daughter of the Regiment) 1847, Her Majesty’s Theatre London. Courtesy of Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Composed of 200 selfies of staff from the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jenny Lind, the Swedish opera singer born on 6th October 1820, whose generosity helped to establish this hospital.