Skip to content

Hospital opens 'blossom room' for end-of-life care

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Another photo of the "blossom room", but with pink balloons that spell out the name of the room in shot.Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The new room opened for its first patient on Tuesday

A hospital has unveiled a new room designed to provide a comfortable space for patients receiving end-of-life care.

The "blossom room", located on the Shand Ward of Bedford Hospital, was officially opened on Tuesday and welcomed its first patient on the same afternoon.

The idea was inspired by Jane Arnold in memory of her father Barry Gilbert, who was able to spend time with him during his last days in May 2020 - albeit in a small, plain room.

The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the new room would make a considerable difference to the environment of patients and their relatives.

Jane Arnold An old photograph with faded colours of Jane Arnold smiling with her father Barry on a sunny day in a garden. Jane has blonde hair and has sunglasses on her head. Barry has white hair and a striped shirt.Jane Arnold
Jane Arnold fundraised for the project after the death of her father Barry in 2020

The private room features a blossom-themed sky panel, TV, pink furnishings and a reclining bed-chair for relatives to stay close by.

Ms Arnold, who lives in Witney near Oxford, learned about the concept of a "blossom room" after she spent almost two weeks in a room that was "stark and without comfort", while her father received palliative care.

She told BBC Three Counties Radio she went home briefly to "stretch out" due to a bad back, caused by the room's plastic chair.

"During that time, he deteriorated. They phoned me and I didn't get back in time to say the final farewell," said Ms Arnold.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust The "blossom room", which looks like a hospital room with some cherry blossom coloured furniture and a screen in the ceiling that looks like a sky window, looking up at a cherry blossom tree. There are pink balloons in the room too.Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The private room features a blossom-themed sky panel, pink furnishings and a reclining bed-chair for relatives

She raised funds over the last four years to help create a more comforting environment for others in similar situations.

The project was delivered by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity.

Ms Arnold said after the official opening: "The room looks absolutely fantastic, and I know that it will bring great comfort to both the patient and those who find themselves having to say goodbye to their loved ones."

Annie Tucker, blossom service coordinator at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity, said: "We are always looking for ways to enhance patient care and relatives' experience for our end-of-life patients, and the 'blossom room' does exactly that."

The hospital charity said it hoped to create more rooms like this for patients in future.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Related internet links