Ditch hospital pyjamas for clothes and get better faster

THINK of a hospital ward and it often conjures up an image of patients propped up in bed in their night clothes.

But according to an NHS campaign, encouraging people to get up and dress in their everyday clothes could help speed recovery – and free up much-needed beds.

Staff at several hospitals are urging patients to change out of their pyjamas and gowns as soon as they feel able to move around.

The idea is that by bringing them closer to their regular routine, patients will gain the confidence they need to return home. In addi- tion, keeping them upright and walking is intended to reduce the loss of mobility from a lengthy hospital stay and reduce associated problems such as pressure sores, all of which delay recovery.

For elderly patients, ten days of bed rest in hospital equates to ten years of muscle ageing, according to doctors – which could make the difference in simple activities such as getting out of bed or using the toilet unaided.

At a time when parts of the NHS are under unprecedented pressure to free up bed space, the initiative has caught on rapidly via social media, with staff dressing in pyjamas or hospital gowns to highlight the campaign. Currently around 7,000 NHS patients are stuck in hospital because they are well enough to go home but their social care needs cannot be met.

‘ Bed- blocking’ helped cause record A&E delays this winter, with almost 300,000 patients waiting for more than four hours in casualty in January across England. The clothing initiative, dubbed ‘end PJ paralysis’ on Twitter, was dreamt up by nurses in Nottingham and quickly won the executive support. It began with staff at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, discussing the benefits of getting patients up and dressed.

Anne-Marie Riley, deputy chief nurse at the trust, said: ‘PJ Paralysis is a really simple idea, but it has a big benefit for patients.

‘We know that if patients stay in their pyjamas or gowns for longer than they need to, they have a higher risk of infection, lose mobility… and stay in hospital longer.

‘But if we can help patients get back to their normal routine as quickly as possible, including getting dressed, we can support a quicker recovery, help patients maintain their independence and help get them home sooner.’ She said staff were being encouraged to use their professional judgment to identify patients who were ready to get up and about, saying early evidence suggested they were being discharged sooner.

‘This helps to free up beds more quickly,’ she added.

Another hospital championing the initiative is the Countess of Chester. Occupational therapist Jennifer Brownley said: ‘You can see the confidence boost they [patients] get.’

At Salisbury District Hospital, one physiotherapist said that the number of her patients up and about at lunchtime had more than doubled in a week thanks to the campaign.

‘You can see the confidence boost’