Exploring the need for age-appropriate provision in a hospital setting
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study examining the need for age-appropriate provision in hospitals, analysing the experiences of young people aged 16-18 years undergoing treatment within a Teenage Cancer Unit, with the support of a Youth Support Coordinator.
IRAS ID
348185
Contact name
Nicky Everett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Beckett University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, days
Research summary
Young People (YP) do not see themselves as children anymore, but in the same context they are not quite adults yet either. There is a gap in the research around the individual needs of adolescents in hospital. Young people aged between 16-18 years that enter a hospital environment do not sit comfortably within paediatrics or adult services. Oncology is one of the only specialisms to have an established service and dedicated wards for young people undergoing treatment and investigations, covering an age range of 13 through to 24 years. However outside of this specialism there are no other teenage specific services within the NHS.
This study will focus on this established service within two specific hospitals, Leeds Teaching Hospital and The Christie Hospital in Manchester, over a two-year period. The study will analyse the experiences of young people aged between 16-18 years (Transitional period) to ascertain any benefits to age-appropriate provision, care and support during this period. The rational for including two hospitals within this study is due to the teenage oncology units and teenage cancer population being relatively small, a sample size in one hospital would not be large enough to gain an in-depth examination.
The participants will include, young people currently undergoing treatment and a parent/carer. In addition to this I will be speaking to Youth Support Coordinators (YSC) across the country currently working within this role on the Teenage Cancer Units.The recruitment process will be supported by the YSCs based on the units. For the YP the research will involve the use of creative methods which will consist of a Body Mapping exercise and secondly, photo elicitation. Data collected from the parents and YSCs will be undertaken through semi structured interviews.
REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
25/WA/0192
Date of REC Opinion
19 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion