Hospital cinema offers “bit of normality” for families facing long stays
New MediCinema opens at Birmingham Children’s Hospital
“It’s really tough… you’re still pretty much aware that you’re in a hospital 24/7.”
Becky has been at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for just over two weeks with her 10-year-old daughter Ella, who is being treated for a blood infection linked to a heart condition. Doctors say she will need six weeks of antibiotics in hospital, followed by further heart surgery.
Ella was born with truncus arteriosus, a serious defect affecting the blood vessels leaving the heart, and has been treated at the hospital since she was a baby.
Speaking at the opening of the hospital’s new in-house cinema, Becky said spaces like this can help families “bring a bit of the normal from outside in” during long admissions.
“So to have a cinema on site where families can go and spend time… and just give you a little time to forget about what’s going on outside of the cinema – it is an amazing thing,” she said.
The new 84-seat MediCinema – the largest of its kind in the UK – was officially unveiled by Ella and other young patients. Children were treated to a preview screening of Disney and Pixar’s new release Hoppers ahead of its national launch on 6 March.
The cinema has been funded through a £1m appeal led by Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and the charity MediCinema. It has been specially designed to accommodate wheelchairs, hospital beds and medical equipment, allowing patients to attend screenings free of charge.
Becky said Ella, who “loves Disney” and plans family cinema trips around release dates, had been particularly excited to attend the first screening.
“To actually be here… and experience her seeing one of the films she was most excited about is a really nice thing to be a part of,” she said.
Hospital leaders say the cinema will host around 260 screenings a year, offering patients and families time together away from the wards during what can be lengthy and challenging stays.