We had an exciting visit to the Royal Berkshire Hospital as part of our Junior Carers programme. First, we went to the boardroom where we met Steve McManus, the CEO of the hospital. He gave us a warm welcome and told us all about his job and the history of the hospital. We learned that the Royal Berkshire Hospital first opened in 1839, and the very first patient was a 15-year-old railway worker called George Earley, who was treated after breaking his arm while working on the Great Western Railway.

Next, we visited the hospital’s old library, which staff call the “Harry Potter room.” Here, we learned why all hospital staff wear name badges that say “Hello, my name is…” and why it is important for staff to introduce themselves to patients so they feel safe and cared for. We then created our own “Hello, my name is…” posters, sharing five things about ourselves. After that, we practised introducing ourselves so we would feel confident when visiting different departments in the hospital.

Next, we visited the pharmacy, where we met two very special robots called Fred and Wilma. We learned that these robots help by picking and sorting medicines, which makes the pharmacy faster and safer. Fred and Wilma work really hard behind the scenes to help doctors, nurses and patients every day, and we loved finding out how technology helps the NHS.

After lunch, we went to the Accident and Emergency Department. We were shown around the bays and learned about the different equipment used to help patients. We also found out the difference between major and minor injuries and were shown around the children’s A&E area. We were very lucky that some ambulances were waiting, so we were able to look inside the back of an ambulance and talk to a paramedic and an ambulance technician about their important jobs