The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children have the right to education, information, play and friendship. The internet plays a pre-eminent role in society today, with almost all older children using the internet for these activities.1 ,2

The quality of the hospital environment is important to well-being.3 Prolonged absence from school is acknowledged to affect social functioning and friendships along with education. Over the last few decades much has been done to improve and normalise the hospital environment. Internet access could improve this further, particularly for older children who form an increasingly large proportion of the inpatient population.4 However children must be protected from …