HEALTHCARE experts from Germany have visited Bradford Royal Infirmary to see how the hospital has transformed its wards to care for dementia patients.

The group, which included 23 experienced nurses, doctors, psychiatrists, matrons and managers from the University of Witten/Herdecke spent time yesterday on Wards 23 and 29 to find out more about the hospital's pioneering work and also heard presentations in the BRI's Sovereign Lecture Theatre on how they could re-create it on their own wards.

Speakers included senior lecturer and honorary consultant Dr Andrew Clegg, who is Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s clinical lead for dementia, Shelley Bailey, head of patient experience, and Professor Murna Downs, of dementia studies at the University of Bradford.

Others involved were consultant geriatricians Dr Alison McMurtry and Dr Tizzy Teale, head of nursing for medicine Sarah Freeman, matron for elderly care, Jill Clayton, estates and facilities programme manager, Shane Embleton, Christian chaplain and dementia champion Joe Fielder, along with voluntary services co-ordinator and fellow dementia champion Mary Taylor. .

Lead nurse for dementia, Danielle Woods, said: “The provision of high quality, personalised care for patients with dementia is a key priority for us and it is a real challenge for hospitals and their staff across the world, as being an inpatient can be very difficult for someone with dementia as it can cause great anxiety and disorientation.

“Here in Bradford we are determined to continuously improve the healing environment and to adapt our surroundings, as best we can, to cater for patients’ needs, as we believe this will improve the quality of their lives, as well as those of their families and carers.”

In 2014, St Luke's Hospital became the first in the country to transform all its public areas to make sure they were dementia-friendly.

A nationally-acclaimed Enhancing the Healing Environment project also saw two tranquil gardens built as part of the £513,000 Department of Health-backed scheme.

Special lighting and artwork were also added to the main corridors and its stairwells to make a more calming space to influence patient behaviour.

The hospital trust's first dementia project took place in 2011 when it unveiled new facilities on wards 23 and 29 at the BRI as part of a £500,000 landmark project on a Yorkshire theme using art, film, colour and touch to help dementia patients and their carers relax, be independent and have better orientation as well as making hospital stays more stimulating.

Memory boxes were positioned above each patient bed, cinema chairs installed in the corridors along with projector screens playing the likes of old Carry On movies and footage from Bradford film archives. Large photographs of local scenes were also put up on corridor walls to help with memory.