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On the eve of a major study of single-room wards, Tamsin Snow asks how the phasing out of multiple-bed wards will affect care
A major trial to test the effects of single-room accommodation on clinical outcomes begins at The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust in London next month.
The trial centres on a 24-bed medical ward comprising single en suite rooms. The £3 million complex has been partly funded by the Department of Health (DH) to help inform government thinking on single rooms.
During the ward's first year, researchers at the University of York will analyse factors such as privacy, bed occupancy, length of stay, noise and sleep quality. They will then compare the results with traditional wards and four-bed bays.
Other issues, such as distance walked by nurses, prevalence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), nursing workloads and communication between clinicians and patients, will also be monitored.
One thing missing from the ward is a nursing station. It has been replaced by computers outside each room. The pilot ward is made up of three clusters of eight beds, with each cluster testing a different room design. The layouts include, for example, varyingly sized windows, which will be analysed for patient visibility. The wards are linked with a reception area, kitchen and storage space.
Time with patients
The trust's director of the patient experience and nursing Marie Batey believes the layout will enable nurses to spend more time with patients. 'We are dispensing with the traditional nursing station as we do not want...