The pods allow frontline staff to recharge during their breaks or after intense or stressful shifts.
Emergency Department staff at Oxford University Hospitals can now take short power naps during their breaks following the installation of specialist rest pods and chairs.
The comfortable rest spaces, which were on loan to the Trust for a trial and used throughout the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, have proven such a hit with staff that Oxford Hospitals Charity has agreed to purchase them for permanent use.
They allow frontline staff working in our Emergency Departments to recharge during their breaks, or before or after intense or stressful shifts.
Two of the futuristic pods and a chair have been introduced at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury has also had a specialist chair installed.
Professor Meghana Pandit, Chief Medical Officer at the Trust, said: “We are delighted to, in partnership with Oxford Hospitals Charity, install these rest pods and chairs for Emergency Department staff at the John Radcliffe and Horton General hospitals.
“Supporting staff health and wellbeing is a Trust priority, and these facilities support our teams by helping them stay rested and be able to continue providing excellent care to our patients.”
The ‘EnergyPod’ is specifically designed for power napping, enabling staff to rest for a limited, specified amount of time.
Katy Mimpress, Matron of the John Radcliffe Hospital’s Emergency Department, said: “These pods and chairs will make such a positive difference to the Emergency Department teams, as they continue their hard work beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The opportunity to fully relax and recover during breaks and after shifts impacts not only on staff, but also on patients, as we are able to return to patient care refreshed and re-energised.
“They are the perfect space for staff to decompress, which has been particularly important during the pandemic.”