HOSPITAL staff have thrown a pyjama party to help patients on their road to recovery.

Ward staff at Glan Clwyd hospital donned their finest PJs to raise awareness for national campaign #EndPJParalysis, which seeks to combat the negative side effects of remaining bedbound by preparing them tog et active again.

The campaign is a novel approach to increasing a patient's mobility by reminding them to change out of their pyjamas and hospital gowns to encourage daily activity and, hopefully, shorten their length of stay.

Ruth Millward, Glan Clwyd matron, said: “We’ve re-launched our support to #EndPJParalysis. All our staff are working really hard to encourage our patients to get up in the morning, change into their day clothes and to move around as soon as they are able to, which helps their wellbeing and recovery."

Studies as part of the End PJ Paralysis campaign show that patients who get dressed in their own clothes at the start of the own day are significantly more likely to regain their independence at a faster rate.

Bedbound patients can lose up to five per cent of their muscle strength for every day they spend resting in bed, while also experiencing increased risk of pressure sores, confusion and fatigue.

Research has also shown that for people over 80, spending 10 days in bed ages their muscles by 10 years, and that older adults living at home take at least 900 steps a day compared with only 250 steps in hospital.

Getting patients up and moving has been shown to reduce falls, improve patient experience and reduce length of stay by up to 1.5 days.

Staff at Ward 3 took the campaign on Tuesday, December 11 a step further by including families in the event, asking them to remind patients of their normal day to day activities and encourage them to change into their day clothes.

Eileen Clayton from Abergele, a patient on Ward 3, said: “I think it’s important for me to get out of bed in the morning and change into my own clothes, it makes me feel better and by doing this, it’s also preparing me for when I go home.”

Ruth Millward added: “We’d be grateful if relatives or friends who have loved ones in hospital could also ensure that they have day clothes and comfortable shoes during their hospital stay."

The staff also ask that families ensure that patients enter hospital with other essentials such as regular medications, glasses and hearing aids, night clothes, dentures, non-slip slippers, toiletries and usual walking aids.

To help those patients who have come into hospital with no clothes, staff have also set up a clothes bank at the hospital.

Anyone wishing to donate clean, comfortable clothing for men or women that they no longer need, or any new underwear or socks, can drop them off in the emergency department reception desk.