A charity donation is helping Walsall patients to have sweet dreams while they are in hospital.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Well Wishers charity has purchased an additional amount of sleep packs for wards following the success of the Quiet Protocol. The packs contain eye masks and ear plugs and are for inpatients to help them have a better sleep.

The Quiet Protocol was launched in December 2018 at Walsall Manor Hospital following feedback through Patient Experience surveys which showed that patients are often having trouble falling and staying asleep due to noisy and often too bright environments. This can have a real impact on their recovery.

Chloe Danks, Senior Patient Experience Officer said: “We know the challenges patients face when trying to sleep in hospital and we want to do all we can to make patients comfortable during rest and sleep.

“We have been handing out sleep packs to patients for five years now and they have made a real difference to their experience. Sleep can be just as important as medical care when focusing on a person’s recovery.

“A massive thank you to Well Wishers for purchasing these for us and always supporting us to help provide the best experience possible for patients, service users and families.”

Georgie Westley, Fundraising Manager added: “As a charity we are pleased to continue the support we provide to the patient experience team which in turns ensures our patients receive the best care possible and supports the charities mission”.

Wards start a wind down at 9pm to 10pm taking the last evening round as an opportunity to better prepare patients for a peaceful evening; checking their pain levels and positioning needs, providing oral care, and making sleep packs available if requested.

The protocol is then initiated from 11pm to 6am when all staff are encouraged to reduce controllable noise.