Oxfordshire NHS trusts launch joint campaign to End Pyjama Paralysis
13/04/2018
This article is more than six years old.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Health are joining forces to get patients on hospital wards out of bed, dressed and active.
The #EndPJparalysis campaign is being launched nationally on Tuesday 17 April 2018 and will run for 70 days until Tuesday 26 June – to mark 2018 as the 70th anniversary year of the NHS.
Nursing staff on hospital wards will use a smartphone app to record how many patients are dressed and active in their day clothes and mobile at 12 noon each day from 17 April to 26 June.
The aim of the 70-day campaign is to help patients by reducing the length of time they spend in hospital and also reducing the number of falls and pressure ulcers which can be caused by patients being less mobile and spending long periods of time in bed.
Professor Jane Cummings, England's Chief Nursing Officer, is spearheading the campaign nationally.
She says: "Wearing pyjamas for many patients reinforces the 'sick role' and can prevent a speedier recovery. I am delighted to be the sponsor of a new NHS-wide 70 day Challenge to achieve 1 million patient days of relevant patients being up, dressed and mobilising."
In Oxfordshire the campaign will cover the four acute hospitals run by Oxford University Hospitals – the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford and the Horton General in Banbury.
Oxford Health will be promoting the campaign on all physical and mental health wards in its community hospitals across Oxfordshire, Warneford and Littlemore hospitals in Oxford, and in its facilities in Buckingham, Wiltshire, and Bath and North East Somerset (BANES).
Sam Foster, Chief Nurse of Oxford University Hospitals, says: "Research shows that 10 days of bed rest in hospital leads to the equivalent of 10 years' ageing in the muscles of people over 80 and so it is really important that we help patients to get dressed and get moving.
"This 'deconditioning' can cause serious harm to patients in hospital, especially older patients, and so we are supporting this campaign across all our hospitals. We hope it can make a real difference."
Ros Alstead OBE, Director of Nursing at Oxford Health, adds: "We care for many people in our community hospitals and in their own homes through services like district nursing.
"Getting up and getting active is part of getting well. It leads to better health and greater independence. We know that for most people, with the right support, the best bed is their own after an active day and we're encouraging everyone to join this campaign."