Birmingham Children Hospital's 10-year-old patient Ella Lowton-Smith, from Atherstone in Warwickshire, and other young patients, officially unveiled the hospital's new charitably-funded MediCinema this week, where they were treated to an exclusive preview of the new Disney and Pixar film “Hoppers”, ahead of its national cinema release.

The creation of the new, fully accessible, 84-seat MediCinema, the largest MediCinema in the UK, follows a £1m fundraising appeal by the charity and MediCinema. The MediCinema creates a space where patients and families, who sometimes spend weeks and months in hospital, can spend quality time together away from the wards, providing meaningful respite, reducing feelings of isolation, anxiety and stress and providing some normality during what can be challenging times. The MediCinema will screen the latest films at no cost to the patients or the NHS.

The red carpet was rolled out for patients at the MediCinema’s ‘premiere’ opening screening of Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Hoppers”. Upon arrival, the children were greeted by iconic duo Mickey and Minnie, which added to their excitement. The magic continued inside as patients enjoyed additional entertainment before ‘‘Hoppers’’ began. Following the screening, each patient left with a special gift from Disney to take back to their bedside, along with lifelong memories made.

Daljit Athwal, chief nursing and midwifery officer at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “To see the excitement on the faces of the children at the screening was pure magic. The MediCinema is already making a massive difference.

“We know lengthy stays in hospital can impact an entire family’s physical and mental health, with patients often feeling isolated from their parents, siblings and friends. This often affects their overall wellbeing and recovery. Our MediCinema will help change that and we feel so privileged to be able to provide this opportunity for our children.” 

Mark Brider, CEO of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “To see the ‘curtain go up’ on our new MediCinema is simply incredible. For our children to be transported from their clinical surroundings into a space where they can forget about being a patient for a short while, enjoying the latest Disney release with their family, is a gamechanger for every child’s experience at our hospital. 

“We’re so very grateful to all our donors who really understood the impact our MediCinema will have on our patients and families and gave so generously to make it a reality.” 

The MediCinema is housed in the hospital's lecture theatre, featuring 84 purpose-made, movie-style seats and is designed specially to accommodate wheelchairs, hospital beds and medical equipment, ensuring as many patients as possible can access the screenings. It is expected to provide around 260 screenings per annum and put smiles on the faces of an estimated 5,000 attendees every year. 

The creation of this MediCinema was made possible thanks to support from the MediCinema charity’s  Trust and corporate supporters, the Julia Rausing Trust and The Walt Disney Company, and £400,000 from the charity’s visionary network of Changemakers, made up of some of the region’s top business leaders, companies and entrepreneurs, plus further contributions from the public.

As well as funds to cover the build of the cinema, the £1m fundraising appeal target included the local running costs for the first 12 months. The MediCinema will mainly run screenings for patients during evenings and weekends, while remaining available as a place for staff training and education during the day. 

To find out more about the hospital’s MediCinema, or to donate to its ongoing fund, please visit www.bch.org.uk.