NHS boss: staying in hospital terrified me

 The head of the NHS has said staying in hospital was the “scariest and most upsetting” experience of his life.

In a web chat on Mumsnet, Simon Stevens said a childhood stay in hospital, which lasted months, had left a deep impression on him. In a discussion on how to make hospitals less bewildering for young patients and visitors, he said: “I had the experience myself of having to spend several months in hospital and I still remember that first night as the scariest and most upsetting of my life.

“Fortunately in the years since then, hospitals have got a lot better at trying to make children’s clinics and wards more like a fun environment for kids with art work, books and play areas.”