Hospital staff don PJs for a day to motivate patients

Staff at the Mater Hospital in Belfast have donned their pyjamas for a day as part of Dress for Success campaign to motivate patients.

Chris Wamsley
Published 7th Aug 2017

Research has shown that patients who stay in their PJs all day are likelier to have a longer stay in hospital.

Whereas getting up and getting dressed as a person normally would at home can actually have a positive impact on recovery.

"It's about changing the mindsets of our patients, their loved ones, their relatives and carers, but also staff, it's changing how we work in hospitals," said Ward Manager Chris Wamsley.

"Whenever we go around hospitals, we see people mostly in pyjamas.

Chris Wamsley

"If we look at people at home in their day-to-day living, we don't usually walk around in pyjamas.

"If we're out in public in our PJs, we feel more vulnerable.

"It takes a bit of our personality away.

"Dress for Success focuses on respecting all our patients and to get up and wear their normal clothes.

"That's what they nwould do at home and it's about keeping the normal routine."

Chris Wamsley