Emma Packer

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Pilot study to assess the potential clinical value of adapting sleep management on psychiatric wards across Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Psychiatric wards in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (NTW) NHS trust had identified several areas in which sleep management could be adapted to decrease inpatient stays and improve outcomes. Recommended changes included the adoption of a more flexible approach to night-time observations, improvements in identification and management of sleep disorders, modifications to the local environment and increased access to therapy. To facilitate these changes, the ‘SleepWell’ project was developed as a six-month intervention across seven wards, in which these factors were adopted and outcomes measured. My role was to assimilate and analyse emerging data, to determine the feasibility and clinical value of practice change. I summarised findings in a proposal for presentation to the NHS business development group, which resulted in the ‘SleepWell’ trial being rolled out to all NTW inpatient wards. I then drafted an in-depth research paper on the study for future submission to BMJ Psychiatry.

Funding Source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Dr Kirstie Anderson