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VR headsets to be used on Worcestershire hospital wards

Getty Images Patient wearing VRGetty Images
Following a trial at Kidderminster Hospital, VR headsets are being used to reduce stress and anxiety

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are now being used on hospital wards to help keep patients calm during procedures.

A trial at Kidderminster Hospital saw soothing sounds and visuals from them used to cut stress and anxiety.

In one case, VR was used in place of sedation when a tube was inserted into a child's vein for blood sampling, staff said.

The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust says they are now a permanent feature in its hospitals.

Dawn Forbes, a nurse specialist, used the technology ahead of a blood test and MRI scan for a patient with a phobia of needles.

She said it enabled a cannula to be placed "quickly without causing any pain or distress".

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