Bristol entrepreneur and owner of Clifton Observatory, Ian Johnson, has donated over £100,000 to local hospital to help fund an innovative project to reduce patient anxiety in the emergency department of Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI).

Following a national project led by the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Design Council, aimed at improving patient experience, the BRI’s adult ED has been fitted with specially designed information boards that guide patients through the process of triage, treatment, and discharge.

The Emergency Department has also been completely redecorated, with artwork lining corridors and cubicles painted in dementia-friendly colours, improving the overall patient experience and creating a calmer working environment for staff. The final stage of the project will see information screens, containing live waiting times and ambulance arrival data, installed in the waiting room.

Dr Becky Hoskins, BRI Emergency Department Consultant Nurse, said: “The impact of the information boards has been immediate. We’ve already noticed a substantial reduction in bad language and aggressive behaviour towards staff making for a much calmer environment in which to work and a better atmosphere overall.”

Ian Johnson, who was referred to Above & Beyond by hospital staff, added: “I approached Above & Beyond to understand where my support could have the greatest impact and we worked together on identifying projects that could really improve the hospital experience for both patients and staff. It’s fantastic to see the improvements to the Emergency Department and a pleasure to be involved with Above & Beyond to support the work it does across the hospitals.”

In addition to the Emergency Department refurbishment and information system, the donation has contributed to the provision of state of the art equipment in the BRI adult Intensive Care Unit, which includes a syringe docking station providing greater accuracy in the administration of multiple medications and saving valuable staff time.

We want to thank Ian for his hugely generous donation and for coming back to visit the ED.

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Find out more about our work with major donors or contact Philanthropy Specialist Helen Turton on [email protected] for more information.