A clothing bank has been created for patients who are admitted to hospital without clothes to end ‘PJ paralysis’ and get them out of bed to help their recovery.
The bank of new tops, trousers, underwear and socks has been set up thanks to £10,000 funding from Southmead Hospital Charity.
Southmead Hospital has been working hard to reduce pyjama paralysis and encourage patients to get dressed, out of bed and moving.
Getting patients out of bed and moving each day has been shown to reduce falls, improve recovery and reduce the length of stay by up to 1.5 days.
For many patients, wearing pyjamas reinforces being sick and can prevent recovery and many patients arrive at hospital without clothing.
Luisa Goddard, head of nursing, said: “If you get out of bed you are most likely to return to normal levels of activity and get home quicker.
“We have around 80 admissions a day, and many of those patients come in as emergency admissions in their night clothes and do not have relatives to bring clothes in for them.
“The clothing bank will ensure they have day clothes to get out of bed in and will also ensure that when they are discharged they are going home in proper clothing and not their slippers and nightwear.”
The clothing bank is for brand new clothing only and the hospital and charity are working with clothing suppliers to provide stock.
Staff across the hospital are able to access the clothing bank to source clothes for their patients.