PRINCESS Alexandra Hospital in Harlow is saying Yes to a challenge set by the NHS in its anniversary year – to get patients out of pyjamas and active as an aid to recovery.

Staff will be counting down the days to the NHS birthday in June by making individual pledges to “support the #endpjparalysis 70 day challenge”; to get the message across, they marked the launch of their campaign today by donning their own pyjamas to raise awareness among patients and families.

In its 70th birthday year the NHS has set a 70-day challenge as part of its drive to end ‘pyjama paralysis‘ and give patients back one million days of their precious time that would otherwise be wasted in bed, in a hospital or care home.

Princess Alexandra Hospital launched its own campaign on Tuesday, 17 April; a vital question staff and patients are being asked to consider is: If you had 1000 days to live, would you spend them in hospital?

Getting people moving, if they are able to – often reduces the length of time they need to spend in hospital and speeds their recovery. The medical evidence shows that a long stay in hospital can be detrimental to recovery. Patients in hospital spend the majority of their time sedentary and it is now known that this causes real harm and results in a loss of function and independence (known as deconditioning). The #endPJparalysis campaign aims to raise awareness of this and encourage staff to support patients and families to bring own clothing for their relatives, and staff to support patients to wear their own clothing, get out of bed and get active.

Professor Nancy Fontaine, the Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive at The Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust, said: “Wearing pyjamas can reinforce feeling unwell and can prevent a speedy recovery.

“We see at close quarters the positive effect on patients both physically and mentally of getting out of pyjamas or hospital gowns and becoming more mobile. I have personally pledged that our trust should take the lead in becoming gown-free. Hospital gowns are not dignified and unless our patients truly require them we want to encourage comfortable clothing, slippers or shoes, or well fitting pyjamas and dressing gown. Most importantly for patients, we would encourage you to get up, keep moving and maintain muscle use.”