We were delighted to fund overnight bed chairs for relatives who wish to stay with their loved ones during the final days of their life at London North West University Healthcare (LNWH) NHS Trust.

Claire Windsor, continuous improvement lead for end-of-life education said: “When a patient is dying, it is so important that a loved one can stay with them and sometimes this means for a number of nights.

“While we offer comfortable chairs, they are not designed for sleeping, so I was thrilled when the Charity agreed to fund 23 chairs to share across wards at Ealing and Northwick Park hospitals.

“The overnight bed chairs transform from an upright chair into a flat lounger/bed, so relatives can stretch out, and sleep in comfort if they wish to. We recognise that it is a very difficult time for relatives and we want to create a less clinical and more homely environment, and the bed chairs go some way to supporting compassionate, family centred care.

“One relative said that it was lovely to be able to just put her feet up, having sat upright in a chair all day, which is great to hear.”