Wards across Shropshire’s two acute hospitals are being encouraged to ‘end PJ paralysis’ by getting as many patients as possible dressed and moving.

Launched on April 17, NHS England’s #EndPJparalysis challenge aims to improve recovery, shorten hospital stays and boost the morale of patients and staff by encouraging patients to get up and dressed every day, where practical.

But it is not just about getting people out of their pyjamas, it is about early mobilisation, it’s about dignity and privacy, it’s about reviewing catheters and IV lines and thinking about whether they can be removed.

The 70-day challenge will run until June 26, just before the NHS’s 70th birthday on July 5.

As part of the campaign there are a number of wonderful initiatives taking place on the wards at The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Deirdre Fowler, director of nursing, midwifery and quality at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), said: “Patients on Ward 16 Stroke Rehabilitation have been doing exercises—sometimes even dancing and singing—to some of their favourite musical artists, such as Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra.

“On Ward 15 Acute Stroke they are playing balloon tennis to get people up and mobilised. They have been having lots of fun on the ward while tackling a really important issue. It is great to see patients dressed and around a table while playing with a balloon, instead of lying in a hospital bed.

“Staff on Ward 6 Cardiology came to work in their gym kit on Tuesday to lead exercise classes with their patients, but perhaps even more fun was the number of staff walking around our hospitals in their pyjamas. I say fun, but what they are doing is actually tackling a really serious issue as it makes us realise how uncomfortable and sluggish we feel when wearing pyjamas. If we feel like that, imagine how patients feel when they are in their pyjamas all day.

“All of our wards are taking part in this challenge and it is really encouraging to see how everyone has embraced the challenge—and believe me, it won’t just end at the end of the 70 days! If something is making such a difference to patient care, why would we stop?”

Other initiatives taking place include: encouraging patients to collect their own drinks from the beverage trollies and helping patients to get up and move to the toilet, instead of using a commode.

Whether it’s walking around their bed or making it over to the bathroom, it all makes a difference. In fact, research shows that 10 days of bed rest in hospital ages the muscles by the equivalent of 10 years in people over 80.

Results of a pilot #EndPJparalysis scheme found hospital stays were shorter, patients’ muscles stayed stronger, cutting the number of falls and reducing the need for institutional care after discharge.

Less food was wasted because patients were more mobile and so using up more energy, and wellbeing of both patients and staff improved.

It can also help to ensure more hospital beds are available by improving patient flow through our hospitals, enabling more timely discharges, reducing the patient’s length of stay, and freeing up beds for the sickest patients as a priority.