Children in Hospital

SUMMARY. The care of children in hospital has greatly changed over the past thirty years. Their stay in hospital is now much shorter, they are more likely to be cared for in paediatric wards, by staff specially trained to meet their needs, with close, continuing attention from their parents. This article traces these changes from the days when visiting was strictly limited to the family centred care to be found in most hospital wards today. The processes by which these changes came about are described and the areas of concern which still remain are considered