The Tree Hutt scrub tops have been a long time in development but have finally arrived!

The scrub tops will be worn by doctors and nurses at the Hutt Hospital Emergency Department and are based on the Tree Hutt concept. The Tree Hutt is the name of the children’s area of the Hutt Hospital Emergency Department. In The Tree Hutt there are visual, sensory and auditory distractions to help children as they experience the emergency department. New Zealand’s beautiful native bush and wildlife is the overall theme.

This has all been designed based on the concept of ‘distraction therapy’.

The aim of distraction therapy is to minimise the trauma of hospital experience for the child and their family. A child-friendly environment with murals, themes and toys is the key to distraction, which increases the child’s ability to cope by stimulating them to concentrate on something else. For many children it takes their minds off the strange smells, sights, sounds, fears and anxiety that they may not have experienced before. Having the use of a focused and therapeutic area helps the child and family to understand the illness, the treatment and the management they receive in the emergency service.

The scrub tops were very kindly funded by the SWI-K Peterson Trust.