A recent report by the British Medical Association has said that activities such as bingo should be provided to patients as such simple measures would help prevent boredom and reduce the chances of depression during long term confinements.
The BMA’s head of science and ethics, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, “What people sometimes forget is that while helping people to feel better during their hospital stay we can reduce their need for painkillers, their likelihood of getting some depression and perhaps not eating enough.
“All of these things will limit their recovery and if we can speed people’s recovery, they have shorter time in hospital, shorter time for the problems of being in hospital and of course save money.”
She went on to tell the BBC’s Today programme: “Any ward would need to look and say ‘do we have a group of people for whom scrabble would be right or is bingo better for that particular group’.”
The Patient’s Association welcomed the report as it encourages healthcare providers to see patients as people who have social needs rather than numbers on a spreadsheet.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said healthcare professionals should plan care “according to a patient’s individual needs to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes”.
“They should also ensure value for money,” she added
Entries (RSS)