Sky ceilings to help improve patient experience at PRH

Five stunning sky murals are to feature on two wards at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford to improve care for patients.

The LED ceiling tiles will feature natural sky scenes and will be fitted in five side rooms on Ward 15 (Acute Stroke Unit) and Ward 16 (Rehabilitation), with one already completed.

The aim of the murals is to provide a distraction, and reduce feelings of anxiety, for patients receiving treatment giving them a more positive experience of being in hospital.

The first room to have the tiles installed is the new Swan Room on Ward 15, which was officially opened this week. The Swan Room is for patients who are at end of life, and their families, so they can spend valuable time together in a peaceful and calming environment.

Ruth Smith, Lead for Patient Experience at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) which runs PRH, said: “These beautiful sky murals will replace the plain tiled ceilings that patients look up at whilst they are in bed.

“We hope that they will provide a distraction for our patients whilst they are receiving treatment, as well as reduce anxiety through promoting relaxation.

“We would like our patients to be able to have a positive experience whilst they are in our hospitals, and this is just one way of helping to achieve that.”

Ann Allsop, Ward Manager for Wards 15 and 16, said they had already had a great response to the sky ceilings from patients and their families.

She said: “The tiles have only been in for a few weeks, but our patients and their families have all said what a difference they have made. I would like to thank the estates team for their work in installing the ceiling tiles, they really do look wonderful.”

Jules Lewis, End of Life Care Facilitator at SaTH, said: “The mural looks amazing, and will make such a difference to our patients and their families who are using the Swan Room at the hardest of times. We would like to thank everyone who contributed towards making this happen.”

The tiles were funded through the fantastic fundraising efforts of staff from the Stroke Team who held raffles, a fete, and organised sponsorship activities; along with patient donations to the Stroke Unit.