Children staying at Frimley Park Hospital are taking part in creative challenges inspired by the hit Channel 4 show Taskmaster as part of a pioneering NHS initiative aimed at improving young patients’ hospital experiences.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has become the first trust in the country to launch the new Taskmaster Hospital Club, a project developed in partnership with NHS England, Avalon and Taskmaster Education.

The initiative adapts the format of the award-winning TV programme Taskmaster for use on paediatric wards, allowing children to take part in fun and interactive tasks from their hospital beds, cubicles or playrooms.

Alex Horne, creator and host of the show, visited Frimley Park Hospital to help launch the scheme alongside staff, patients and volunteers.

Young participants aged between nine and 16 competed in a series of light-hearted challenges, including joke-writing and drawing tasks, with points awarded throughout the session before a winner received a specially designed Taskmaster certificate.

Mr Horne said: “I wasn't entirely sure that kids in hospital would want to complete ridiculous tasks set by me, but having seen the programme in action, run by the brilliant people at Frimley Health, I'm incredibly proud that we can help provide some fun distraction.”

Ellen Duke, national deputy director for children and young people’s nursing at NHS England said: “We started working with Taskmaster Education in the summer of last year to adapt their format that is delivered in schools to be suitable for children in hospital.

“The motivation for the project came from the results of a patient experience survey where some children and young people told us there isn't enough to do when they're in hospital.”

The pilot scheme is the first in the UK and was developed following patient feedback suggesting there was not enough for children to do while in hospital.

Following the success of the Frimley trial, the Taskmaster Hospital Club will now be rolled out free of charge to children’s wards across the country through NHS Futures.