Staff mental health boost after Morriston Hospital wellbeing zone upgrade

Busy staff can decompress and take a breath away from the frontline thanks to two upgraded wellbeing spaces in Morriston Hospital’s staff library.

New furniture including a sofa, coffee table and special seating pods, which shut out sound to create a sense of peace and seclusion, have been provided for the existing wellbeing area and a quiet zone on the library’s mezzanine floor.

A new screen has also been added, which one day a week will feature images of nature and the countryside, including the Gower peninsula. Coupled with new Bluetooth headphones, the idea is to bring the great outdoors inside to help staff feel transported away from work for a brief respite.

Virtual Reality headsets and an eclectic selection of books, covering subjects including mental health and travel, have also been purchased to help create the perfect environment for quiet reflection and relaxation.

The upgrade has been paid for from Swansea Bay charitable funds, which distributes money donated to and raised through the work of the health board’s Swansea Bay Health Charity.

There are hundreds of separate funds in place for services and wards across the health board, as well as general funds for the major sites, including Morriston.

The money for this project came from the general fund and the health charity is urging colleagues who would also like to access funding for projects which will benefit staff to get in touch.

Much of the planning and installation of the wellbeing upgrade was carried out by Morriston library staff, who have been delighted by the enthusiastic feedback from wellbeing space users so far.

“We just wanted to create a space where staff can relax for a while,” said Trainee Clinical Librarian Betsy Morgan.

“You just have to spend five minutes in the main corridor of Morriston to see how busy and pressurised the environment is. So the idea was to have a place where anyone can come during their break to switch off and enjoy some calm or quiet time.

“We’ve had a wellbeing corner since 2021 but the money we received from charitable funding has provided some really great new facilities.

“We’ve had a good response from colleagues and the upgrade is proving very popular. We’ve also got our seed library situated in the wellbeing space.

“Some staff are using the seating pod in the quiet area to meditate and it’s also ideal for staff and students who are neurodivergent and really need a safe, peaceful space.

“We’re looking to formally launch the upgraded spaces in the new year with the opportunity for colleagues to try out the VR headsets. We’re also planning a visit from Cariad Pet Therapy Dogs and there will be refreshments for staff.

“We have a number of people to thank for supporting us and helping us access the funding for this project, which is already making a real difference. So I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in helping make this happen.”

Pictured from left: Library assistant Rebecca Probert and Morriston Staff Library Librarian Rhys Whelan. Above is the upgraded quiet zone on the library's mezzanine floor.

Swansea Bay Health Charity Community Support Officer Cathy Stevens is keen to echo the message that if other staff would like to get your own worthwhile project off the ground, charitable funds often have the resources to help.

“We’d like to raise awareness of what could be available,” said Cathy. “There is a pot of cash in general funds but also funding which has been specifically donated to services, wards and departments when perhaps people have really wanted to give back for many reasons.

“So I’d urge anyone to get in touch with us to see what could be available. This is a fantastic project and a huge well done to the library staff who have pushed for it and helped make it happen. It provides a great upgrade which will make an important difference for many colleagues.”

If you work for the health board and you’d like to find out more about charitable funding and how to access it, email SBU.Endowments@wales.nhs.uk

Swansea Bay Health Charity is the official charity of Swansea Bay University Health Board and manages a range of different charitable funds supporting a wide variety of departments and services.

To find out more about more the charity, its amazing campaigns which support both patients and staff and how you can fundraise or donate, go to the charity’s website at swanseabayhealthcharity.com