by Rebecca Walker — January 12, 2011—Plants and sunnier rooms will give hospital patients a brighter outlook on their condition, and also relieve deadly boredom, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
The BMA’s board of sciences noted in a report that the NHS should consider views of green spaces as well as activities including bingo, live musical performances and art classes to help patients beat the boredom, depression and social isolation, according to a report in the Guardian newspaper.
The report acknowledged that being in hospital is tedious for most people.
“Hospitalization presents specific stresses over and above those associated with illness, ranging from environmental factors such as unfamiliar surroundings to the lack of privacy and independence, and uncertainty about ill-health outcomes,” the report says. “When a patient’s needs are not met it may affect their emotional state.”
Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA’s head of science and ethics, wants all new NHS facilities to have a more relaxing atmosphere. This includes gardens in the hospital grounds, single-sex accommodation and pictures of landscapes on the wall, the Guardian report said.
