Friday, June 27, 2025

Charity funds virtual sky panels to enhance experience on maternity hospital wards

Midwives and patients are set for an enhanced experience on Bardney and Nettleham wards at Lincoln County Hospital.

A new lighting panel featuring a blue sky and clouds has been fitted on the ceiling above the midwives’ station on Nettleham Ward. This area is central to the building and does not receive any natural light.

On Bardney Ward, the panel which features a lake and mountain has been placed on the wall.

The panels give off light and move through different settings, adjusting as appropriate for the time of day.

The new panels were paid for by United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity and will help with staff morale and patient experience.

Last year, staff working on these wards said they struggled with the lack of sunlight during their shifts, and they’d found this impacted on their mood and effectiveness.

Some midwives were experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the lack of natural light exacerbated their symptoms.

Improving the lighting was suggested as a possible solution and the sky panels were investigated and found to be a viable option. The virtual sky panels help to promote wellness, reduce stress and anxiety and improve patient and staff experience in clinical settings.

Claudia Coggan, a midwife on Nettleham Ward, said: “I work as a coordinator and have found that natural light struggled to reach us at the midwives’ station where the computers were situated. We felt like all we had was artificial light for our long shifts. The shadows on our keyboards did not help.

“We heard we were having a new lighting system above where we worked and helped choose the screen picture.

“The light screen was installed, and the distribution of light is much better now and the best part is that we can adjust the intensity of the light according to our needs. It is easier to work on computers and there is less eye strain.”

Bardney Ward is for women in labour and Nettleham Ward is the antenatal and postnatal ward for mothers and their newborn babies.

Patients on these wards will also benefit from the improved environment, making it a little more welcoming and homely.

Ben Petts, Charity Manager at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, said: “We are delighted to be able to fund these virtual sky panels and help support staff and patient wellbeing.

“They bring a bit of the outdoors indoors and have really improved the look and feel of the wards.”

 

Image credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our news site - please take a moment to read this important message:

As you know, our aim is to bring you, the reader, an editorially led news site and magazine but journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them.

With the Covid-19 pandemic having a major impact on our industry as a whole, the advertising revenues we normally receive, which helps us cover the cost of our journalists and this website, have been drastically affected.

As such we need your help. If you can support our news sites/magazines with either a small donation of even £1, or a subscription to our magazine, which costs just £27.55 per year, (inc p&P and mailed direct to your door) your generosity will help us weather the storm and continue in our quest to deliver quality journalism.

As a subscriber, you will have unlimited access to our web site and magazine. You'll also be offered VIP invitations to our events, preferential rates to all our awards and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Just click here to subscribe and in the meantime may I wish you the very best.

Advertisment












Latest posts

WordFest to bring books to life in the Wolds

A world of stories, song, and literary celebration will come to the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds this July with Wolds WordFest, a 10-day...

Motorbikes, meals, and muddy mayhem roll into Grimsthorpe Castle this July

Lincolnshire’s Grimsthorpe Castle will again host the Malle Mile festival from 18 to 20 July, blending fast bikes, wild races, and lifestyle flair in...

Smart bus displays start popping up across North Lincolnshire

Bus stops in North Lincolnshire are getting a tech upgrade, with new digital displays being installed to make catching the bus a little easier....

Celebrating success: Lincoln College Group’s summer awards bloom

The Lincoln College Group returned once again to The Drill for its annual Further Education Awards Ceremony, celebrating the remarkable achievements of 25 students...

Improved diagnosis for prostate cancer patients thanks to charity fundraiser

Patients with suspected prostate cancer can now access treatments closer to home, thanks to a generous charitable donation. A newly opened Urology Diagnostic Room at...

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close