Medical students from the University of Sheffield will be helping sick teddy bears get back on their feet when they open up the special Teddy Bear Hospital at the Weston Park Museum in Sheffield this weekend.

Teddy Bear Hospital aims to dispel the fears that children have about visiting doctors and hospitals, as well as giving medical students valuable experience with children.

The free event will take place on Saturday April 12 as a drop in session between 10am and 4pm. It is aimed at children aged between four and 11 years old and teddy bears of all ages.

Every sick teddy bear will have a consultation with one of the medical students, or as they will be called on the day, 'Teddy Doctors'. The teddies will be carefully examined by the students and will have their blood pressure taken, have an X-ray or MRI scan and will get some treatment, such as a bandage or a 'pawscription' for love and hugs.

Teddies that are worn and have holes in them can even be sewn up by the students. There will also be other activities running throughout the day including healthy eating games, stations to learn about the skeleton or organs and face painting.

Medical students Emily Lees and Abi Jones got the idea for the Teddy Bear Hospital while working on a child health placement as part of their training. This is the second event to take place, with last year's event attracting nearly 200 children and their teddy bears.

Deborah Phillips, a third-year medical student, who will be a Teddy Doctor on the day, said:

"Teddy Bear Hospital aims to help children understand what it is like to see the doctor, which allows them to combat fears and find that it's not too scary.

"Last year Sheffield Teddy Bear Hospital had an amazing turn out. It was so nice to see so many smiles on people's faces, the children and Teddy Doctors were enjoying it equally and everyone had a great day. We hope this year's event is going to be bigger and better than last year, with more children and their teddies enjoying the experience."

The Medical students running the project are part of Medsin, a network of students with an interest in raising awareness of and taking action on humanitarian and global health issues at a local, national and international level.

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