Bradford Royal Infirmary
The United Kingdom
“Overall the lighting solutions have helped the appearance of the wards so they look lighter, brighter & more welcoming. There’s definitely a change in how patients feel about their environment; they report feeling more relaxed and calmer.” - Debbie Beaumont, Ward Manager
The Project
Around a quarter of people accessing acute hospital services in the UK are likely to have dementia, and this is expected to double over the next 30 years. Consequently, there is a clear need to ensure that hospital facilities provide a supportive and welcoming environment that will improve patient outcomes.
Wards 23 & 29 at Bradford Royal Infirmary have been transformed to provide a supportive environment for all patients, particularly those with cognitive problems and dementia. The aim of the project is to promote person-centred care, improve interaction between patients and staff, and modify the environment to reduce episodes of agitation while also improving the patient experience and staff morale.
The Solution
The Philips Dynamic Lighting system, which has been installed in both wards, is a versatile system that uses energy efficient fluorescent light to alter the colour balance of the lighting. The solution mimics the natural rhythm of daylight to deliver specific lighting effects at different times of day. The more time spent in daylight, or in daylight-like artificial light, the better the patient’s visual performance and comfort, mood, sleep-wake rhythm, concentration, alertness and performance.
Dementia patients are particularly prone to erratic sleep patterns, often sleeping during the day so they find it difficult to sleep at night. At Bradford, therefore, the Dynamic Lighting has two key roles. One is to create a bright and cheerful ambience in the wards. The other is to help keep patients active during the day so they can enjoy a more restful and recuperative sleep at night.
In addition, the Philips HealWell lighting solution has been installed in patient rooms on Ward 29. HealWell also provides gradually varying light levels during the day, as if on a sunny day outside, and combines this with ambient lighting that can be controlled by the patient using a touch-pad controller to switch between pre-set scenes.
The HealWell lighting solution has transformed the environment of these rooms and the feedback has been very positive from patients and staff. Furthermore, and very crucially, early indications are that the lighting, in conjunction with the other measures taken to improve the environment, will have a very beneficial effect on patients.
Energy–efficient light sources have been used throughout the project and include Philips LuxSpace LED compact downlighters in the corridors and patient areas of Ward 23. As well as saving energy compared to compact fluorescent downlighters, these will reduce maintenance requirements and the disruption to the wards caused by replacing lamps.
“The benefits to the infrastructure of the estate is that it’s all on a time clock, so it runs itself and in the 11 to 12 months since the solution was installed we’ve not had to come out to look at any repairs or anything,” noted Shane Embleton, Project Manager Estates Design. “So it’s been good from that point of view and because it’s energy saving it’s reducing costs for the Trust,” he added.
Philips HealWell Lighting Solution
Philips LuxSpace LED Compact
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