Clown doctors have patients in stitches
Clown Doctors Australia (formerly The Humour Foundation) has been bringing joy to Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) patients for 20 years and recently celebrated over morning tea with supporter The Humpty Dumpty Foundation and hospital staff.
“Our purpose is to enhance wellbeing through the uplifting power of humour,” says Emma Pollard, chief executive officer of Clown Doctors Australia. Sick children, their families and hospital staff in two hospices and 22 hospitals nationally are regularly visited by the clown doctors.
“The team at North Shore are just an absolute joy. But there are days when it’s incredibly tough for them as they support families through some of their darkest days. The role of Clown Doctors is to provide levity and support for them.”
Clown Doctors see about 4,500 RNSH patients every year through their weekly five-hour visits. They often start the day in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, then visit the paediatric ward, short stay, emergency department, outpatient’s unit and recently began visiting the burns unit.
They are trained performers, who audition for the role and undergo 12 months of training that includes 50 rounds in a children’s hospital and mentoring by an experienced clown doctor. The clowns use performative and improvisation skills. “Nothing our clown doctors do is scripted,” explains Emma. “They lean in and respond to cues they are given by a child. They’re often musical, and some carry ukuleles.”
Accepting an invitation to see a clown doctor can be empowering for a child in hospital and lead to an improved quality of care. Emma tells NL that 94% of healthcare staff believe they can deliver more efficient care when clown doctors are present and because of the interaction, 96% of children are more receptive to care.
“A hospital is no longer a frightening place,” says Emma. “It’s no longer a place of fear, or anxiety. Our clown doctors are remarkable because they can support not just the child but their family, our doctors and nurses through that journey, finding moments of joy and lightness because we believe deeply that you can’t stop living life,” Emma says. “Life doesn’t stop because you’re being treated in the hospital.”
Clown Doctors Australia is funded by the community – private donations, corporate support, trusts and foundations, private ancillary funds and peer to peer fundraising events. The Humpty Dumpty Foundation has supported its RNSH visits for 17 years.