Nurses using virtual reality to try and dampen patient pain

Nurses at a hospice in west London are using virtual reality technology to help distract their patients in a bid to better manage anxiety and pain.

Meadow House, a day hospice and 15-bed inpatient unit located in the grounds of Ealing Hospital, has been trialling the headsets for the past month.

“It is primarily a distraction tool to help manage pain and has come from America”

The service, which is managed by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, provides specialist palliative care and support to patients and their families in Ealing and Hounslow.

Specialist nurse Jennifer Draper said the technology, which offers 10 seven-minute virtual reality experiences, has been popular with both in-house and day patients.

Patients are able to use the virtual reality device to experience outer space, underwater and wildlife adventures, such as walking with penguins in the Arctic.

Ms Draper said: “It is primarily a distraction tool to help manage pain and has come from America where it has seen widespread use in tackling the opioid epidemic.

“It has a different use here, but the distraction technique is still the same as many of our patients live with pain, despite medication,” she said. “It relieves anxiety and aids relaxation

and breathing.”

The technology was provided by Cardiff based company Rescape.

Specialist nurse Jennifer Draper