Simple changes, huge impact
The Everyday Impact awards launched in August 2022 and focuses on ideas where a relatively straightforward change could have a big impact on the care, experience and wellbeing of patients in hospitals across Barts Health NHS Trust.
Over two rounds, we’ve funded sixteen new awards totalling just over £274,000. The successful awards cover a diverse range of enhancements, from specially designed bags for families to take home the belongings of patients who’ve passed away, to CritiCool equipment to regulate the temperature of newborns at The Royal London Hospital, through to refurbishing and redecorating the Sycamore Ward at Whipps Cross Hospital to improve patient and staff wellbeing.
Transformational change can happen at any level. It can come from small, everyday initiatives, such as introducing sensory toys for The Royal London Hospital dental waiting room for patients with special needs. We believe these small enhancements can make a great impact on patient and family care across our hospitals.Dr Ali Momin, Head of Healthcare Funding at Barts Charity
A closer look at what we’ve funded
Creating a dementia-friendly ward environment
Staff members at The Royal London Hospital identified a need for an interactive and colourful ward space to improve the wellbeing of older patients.
Their plan is to implement a number of changes, including large TVs and radios in each bay to create a homely environment, themed bays with music and fragrance to create a sense of nostalgia and reminiscence shelves with memorabilia and photographs of past historic events, artists, buildings and streets.
Artwork for Newham Hospital’s gynaecology department
Through Vital Arts, the arts organisation for Barts Health, staff at Newham Hospital will commission an artist to transform four areas of the hospital’s gynaecology department. Feedback from patients suggested the need for some colour and distraction from the white walls, especially in the counselling room, which is currently a small space with no windows. The artwork will create a warmer and more welcoming environment for patients.
Equipment to help dieticians create better nutrition plans for cancer patients
Even before any cancer treatment is started, there can be an impact on a patient’s ability to eat and drink normally, which will lead to a loss of muscle mass. Treatments that are given to cancer patients, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can have a significant impact on a patient’s ability to meet their nutritional requirements. Ultimately, this severely impacts a person’s ability to live independently. Our funding will allow dieticians at St Bartholomew’s Hospital to buy equipment to monitor the body composition of cancer patients throughout their treatment. This will mean the dieticians can create personalised nutrition plans to help patients to build their energy and minimise muscle wasting, which could improve quality of life and patient outcomes.