Property boxes help to provide peace of mind for patients | News

Patient property boxes have been introduced to the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to help patients keep personal items safe during their care journey.

First introduced by Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, the patient property boxes are being trialled across four wards at the Trust to help keep safe, life affecting items and ultimately improve the patient experience.

The boxes are designed to hold personal items that an individual would struggle to function without such as dentures, hearing aids and glasses. Patients will remain reassured that all items are kept together, easy to locate and moveable at short notice.

Clare Blackburn, Head of Patient Experience at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“These property boxes will support our patients to keep hold of their important personal items, which when lost, can not only be extremely distressing to them and their relatives/carers, but can significantly impact on their recovery and slow down their discharge process.

“We hope by introducing these boxes we will help to give our patients, their relatives, and carers reassurance that we are continually improving the experience for patients in our care.”

The boxes are being offered to patients who are at risk of losing their dentures, hearing aids and glasses due to confusion, such as those with diagnosed dementia, fatigue, or who are experiencing high levels of stress due to their hospital admission. 

Speaking on the new property boxes, a family member of a patient who recently received care from the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: “I think it's a great idea. It will keep mums’ things safe, and they won't get mixed up.”