York Hospital lab tour helps Abbie understand her healthcare

13 February 2025

York Hospital patient Abbie Hampshire is the first youngster to benefit from a private tour of its on-site laboratories, as part of a project which helps young patients and their families feel more comfortable with the hospital experience.

Young children often find hospitals frightening, but visiting a laboratory can ease their fears and offer reassurance, while giving staff a chance to meet the young patients whose samples they work with.

Eight-year-old Abbie, who has pulmonary hypertension, has regular blood tests at York Hospital which are then analysed in the laboratory.

She travelled with her parents, Ben and Andrea, and her two brothers from their home in Thirsk to meet the biomedical science staff who process and analyse her samples to help manage her condition.

Abbie got hands-on with the laboratory equipment by testing dummy samples and looking at them through a microscope.

Abbie said, “The scientists at the hospital were really kind to me and helped me to be able to see everything there. You can learn so much about your blood and I feel braver now when I have my blood taken.

“I enjoyed wearing a white laboratory coat, writing out a label for my blood test sample, and finding lots of different equipment around the laboratory and ticking them off on my sheet of paper.

“At the end, I got a special certificate and a teddy bear in a white lab coat, and I took them both to school to show my teachers and friends in assembly. It made me feel very happy."

The idea comes from the Harvey’s Lab Tour project, which was started in 2013 by Malcom Robinson, a former chief biomedical scientist in the NHS.  It is now overseen by the Institute of Biomedical Research as a new approach to help young patients feel more confident and in control of their healthcare journey.

Hasmita Rana, Blood Sciences Deputy Training Lead with the Scarborough Hull York Pathology Service, said: “We were delighted to welcome Abbie and her family on a laboratory tour, and to see how engaged she was with all the staff.

“The laboratory team created games for her, such as playing ‘spot the laboratory equipment’ and following the journey of a blood sample through the different testing processes. It was an absolute pleasure to meet her.

“Biomedical scientists are often hidden away from the patient environment, so the tours are an opportunity for patients who regularly have blood samples taken to see what happens behind the scenes.”

Abbie’s mum Andrea said: “Our family really enjoyed our lab tour and the whole experience was fascinating. The staff and volunteers were very welcoming and explained everything in great detail.

“Abbie was back on the ward at York Hospital afterwards, and she made sure her details were correct on the blood sample bottles and that they had the right colour lids on!” 

Tours can only be arranged for children who are already in the care of the Trust, either as inpatients or outpatients.  If your child is a patient and would like to take part in a Harvey’s Lab Tour, please speak to a member of the care staff or email yhs-tr.harveysgang@nhs.net.