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MEDIUM AUDIO

Over the past weeks and months, we have seen many images of the inside of hospitals, and the clothing needed by nurses and doctors to protect themselves against the coronavirus has been discussed at length. But what about the gowns that patients usually wear — the ones that are open at the back and often show more than is necessary? At the beginning of this year, health experts started a campaign called #downwiththegown, asking NHS hospitals to stop using them. This style of gown has been worn in hospitals for 100 years and is often called the “dignity gown”. However, as Dr David Oliver wrote in The BMJ, this gown can add stress to the patient experience in hospital, as many people feel exposed in it. While the gown can be useful during an operation, it seems its days are numbered, and many think it’s time to find kinder clothing for hospital stays.