Campaign to get patients more active at Horton hospital

Staff at the Horton General Hospital are focusing on getting patients more active as part of a national campaign.
The Horton General Hospital NNL-160816-115751009The Horton General Hospital NNL-160816-115751009
The Horton General Hospital NNL-160816-115751009

The #EndPJparalysis campaign will see nursing staff use a smartphone app to record how many patients are dressed at noon each day.

The campaign was launched on April 17, and runs for 70 days until June 26 – to mark 2018 as the 70th anniversary year of the NHS.

The aim is to reduce the length of time patients spend in hospital and lower the risk of falls and pressure ulcers by being in bed too long.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief nurse Sam Foster said: “Research shows ten days of bed rest in hospital leads to the equivalent of ten 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.”

The campaign will also be promoted at the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. Oxford Health will be championing the campaign in its community hospitals across Oxfordshire and in its facilities in other counties.

Ros Alstead, director of nursing at Oxford Health, added: “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.”

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