CONSIDERATE nurses are helping patients stave off boredom by filling boxes with fun things to do and distributing them across a hospital.

Activity boxes containing colouring books, word search books, board games, pens, pencils, arts and crafts will be handed out to nearly every ward and department at Colchester General Hospital.

They also include sensory bands, also called twiddle muffs, which are knitted hand muffs, which provide comfort and distraction.

The boxes were the idea of Steph Baker, learning disability hospital liaison nurse specialist, and inspired by a patient she supported throughout a three-month stay at the hospital.

She said: “This woman had no family or friends and no visitors and got extremely bored, which resulted in her becoming clinically depressed.

“Clearly, some patients are so ill they are not really up for much activity at all but others, especially those who are getting better, are keen for things to do to fill their time.

“Although I’m a learning disability nurse, these activity boxes will be distributed to all adult wards and virtually all departments, including outpatients, radiology and the clinical decisions unit and can be used by any patient.

“I’m hopeful they will in a small way help to improve the experience that patients have of our hospitals.”

Initially ten activity boxes will be distributed but Mrs Baker aims to increase that number to a total of 30.

All wards will have one with the exception of the children’s ward, which has its own team of play specialists and its own playroom.

She also hopes to distribute the boxes to Essex County Hospital and to areas at hospitals in Clacton, Halstead and Harwich where Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust provides services.

The boxes have been filled thanks to donations from the community learning disability health team, run by Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Anyone wishing to donate money to buy materials for the boxes can make out a cheque to CoHoC 805G and post it to Fundraising Office, Villa 10, Colchester General Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL.

Items for the boxes can be sent to Steph Baker, Safeguarding Office, Gainsborough Wind, Colchester General Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL.