New LED ceiling panels have been installed at the Royal Bolton Hospital to try to create a calmer environment for neurodiverse children.
The panels have been installed in the hospital’s plaster room, and were paid for with funding from the Our Bolton NHS Charity and St James’s Place Charitable Foundation.
The hospital hopes the panels, which sit above each of the four bays in the room, will create a calmer environment for neurodivergent children – who have may have conditions such as autism, ADHD, ADD, dyspraxia, and more.
It comes as a follow-up to a new sensory wall which was installed in the hospital’s orthopaedic outpatient department.
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Drifting clouds, spring blossom, and under the sea will all appear on the newly installed screens.
Plaster room technician Sean Griffiths said: “It means a lot to get the ceiling and walls transformed in the plaster room as it helps our patients by putting them at ease and is a more pleasant environment for staff to work in.
“I am passionate about helping improve our department to help all patients, but epically neuro-diverse patients due to my son being on the autism spectrum, and I am always happy to support others.”
As well as the screens, a new colour-changing bubble wall panel has also been installed, offering something to focus on.
The bubble wall can be adjusted to create the desired atmosphere for patients.
According to the hospital, more than 800 children with autistic spectrum conditions and learning difficulties receive treatment in the plaster room each year.
It is hoped the panels will also reduce patient and parental anxiety for all, as well as increasing staff morale.
Sarah Skinner, charity manager of Our Bolton NHS Charity, said: “We’re so pleased to have been able to collaborate with St James’s Place Charitable Foundation to make a really positive change for hundreds of children who use this service every single year.
“We want every child and adult who comes through the doors of the hospital to have the same access to great care, and it’s wonderful to know that these LED panels will go some way to creating a calmer space for those who need it.
“Our collective reach and impact is far greater when like-minded organisations work together to make a difference.”
Kaye Price, from KP Financial Wellbeing and a partner at St James’s Place, said: “The hospital provided lifesaving care for our daughter, who was born prematurely, so it seemed a perfect fit to support Our Bolton NHS charity.
“The SJP Charitable Foundation offer grants to local communities, and we were really pleased to help fund this amazing work.”
If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.
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