New animated characters helping families navigate common illnesses and injuries

Meet Bella, Gina, Ibrahim and Robin, the new cast of adorable animal characters helping children in the South West – and their parents - navigate common childhood illnesses and injuries.

Five animated videos, which have been created by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have been made to help families in and around Bristol recognise when a visit to our Children’s Emergency Department is the most appropriate course of action and what to expect when they get there.

The videos, which are all available on YouTube, support the NHS HANDi App - a free app designed to help parents and carers when looking after a poorly child. They were funded by Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity, and produced by UHBW’s Medical Illustrations Team.

Welcome to the Children's Emergency Department is available for download here - please credit University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in all use.

The four characters are each dealing with different symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea, fever, breathing difficulties and head injuries.

Explained in a simple way so children can understand them, while still being informative for adults, the videos set out a light-hearted approach to recognising the red flags which mean a trip to the Children’s Emergency Department is necessary. They then identify the “amber flags” which can mean contacting a child’s GP or ringing 111 is the best course of action and finally how children can be best supported at home without immediate medical intervention.

The characters children can get to know are:

• Bella the badger, who has spent the whole day in the forest, but now back home is beginning to have some breathing difficulties.
• Gina the giraffe loves to eat everything in sight, but now she has accidentally eaten some poisonous berries she is vomiting and experiencing diarrhoea.
• Ibrahim the bear loves listening to music on his way home from the park, so much so he does not notice a low branch and bangs his head.
• Robin, the robin, starts to feel very hot and sweaty after catching an infection. He starts to develop a fever, but when should he come to hospital, if at all?

The final video explains what to expect when visiting Bristol Royal Hospital for Children’s Emergency Department. As people in our care come from across the South West and South Wales, including families who are visiting the area, the video begins by explaining where Bristol is on a map. Local landmarks are included in the illustrations such as the Suspension Bridge, Brunel’s SS Great Britain and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Michael Malley, an Emergency Department Consultant at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, who developed the head injuries section on the NHS HANDi App has supported the creation of the videos.

Michael Malley said: “It can be such a worrying time for families when their child is unwell and they’re trying to figure out how they can best support them at home and when to go to the GP, pharmacy or Emergency Department. These fun and family-friendly videos create stories to explore four of the most common reasons why children become unwell and are so beautifully illustrated that parents and children can enjoy watching them together. The animal characters identify the symptoms to worry about, as well as give practical advice on how to manage these symptoms at home. We hope that this can make a real difference supporting families to make the best decisions for them regarding when to access healthcare in Bristol”

The videos were funded by Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity and have been expertly created in-house by the University Hospital Bristol and Weston’s illustration department.

The HANDi App is available to download for from the app store or iTunes and for Android phones at Google Play.