News

Sleep pod aims to help trust’s staff fight fatigue during a shift

Initiative is being trialled by doctors – with plans to roll it out to all shift workers
A junior doctor trying out a sleep pod

Initiative is being trialled by doctors – with plans to roll it out to all shift workers


Junior doctor Syed Husain tries out the sleep pod

Specially designed sleep pods could soon be used by nurses in Herefordshire to take short power naps during shifts.

A sleep pod and a reclining chair are part of new rest facilities at the County Hospital in Hereford, part of Wye Valley NHS Trust. They are being used in a three-month trial to help doctors improve the quality of their rest during a break. 

Once in the sleep pod, a screen can be turned around to block out any view. The pod also has noise-cancelling headphones that can provide soothing music, LED lights to give a better sense of isolation from the room it sits in, a 20-minute timer and a back massager.

The trust plans to install a second pod, with the aim of extending the initiative to all shift workers.

Fighting fatigue in the workplace

Funding for the equipment came from a £10 million government initiative to modernise, upgrade and install rest facilities for junior doctors.

The trial is part of the trust’s support of the national #FightFatigue campaign to raise awareness of the impact of fatigue and shift work, which was set up by the Association of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.   

Wye Valley human resources director Sue Smith said: ‘We’re encouraging staff to fight fatigue by taking breaks, staying hydrated, eating well, getting extra sleep before a night shift, and taking a power nap during their break when working a night shift to improve alertness.’

Association of Anaesthetists president Kathleen Ferguson said: ‘We want to change attitudes across the NHS to ensure everyone understands the risks of fatigue and how to mitigate them. 

‘We hope that by taking responsibility collectively for making changes to working practice, we can improve working conditions for all staff – which will, in turn, benefit patient care.’

Do you think this initiative would be effective in your workplace? Add your comments below. 


Further information


In other news

Jobs