Lily the therapy dog joins NHS hospitals group
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation TrustA therapy dog called Lily has joined a group of NHS hospitals to help patients with bleeding disorders.
The flat coat retriever cross poodle, called a floodle, has joined the team at East Kent Hospitals as her owner Becca Dodds is the principal clinical psychologist with the haemophilia team.
Lily has been specially-trained through assessments to help patients, particularly those with a phobia to needles.
Dodds said: "She's already proving very popular and she has the perfect nature for her work. It's been fantastic to see the difference she makes to our patients and the team."
One patient, Bethany Newland, 31, was being investigated for high platelets in her blood and needed a test at the haemophilia centre at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.
In the past, she had fainted when staff tried to take her blood.
"Normally I'm shaking, I feel really hot and faint, and I can't think about anything else, even if people are talking to me," the Hythe resident said.
"But this time I just stroked Lily and I didn't think about what was going on.
"She made me so calm and she was so friendly, I loved having her there."
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