Patients at James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are set to benefit from a new digital bedside service following a partnership with Airwave Healthcare, introducing integrated technology that supports entertainment, communication, and access to hospital services.
The new integrated bedside terminals are being introduced on the Trust’s innovative and award-winning Concept Ward as part of the New Hospital Programmes in Norfolk. The programmes are helping to redesign clinical services that will be embedded within the Trust’s new hospital build, currently in development through the national New Hospital Programme, with construction planned to begin in 2027 at the James Paget Hospital and works already underway at Queen Elizabeth Kings Lynn Hospital.
The introduction of individual bedside entertainment responds directly to patient feedback gathered through the Trust’s NHS Friends and Family Test, which highlighted a desire for improved access to television and entertainment. The service has been funded by the James Paget Hospital Charity for an initial three-year period. Moving away from shared televisions towards personalised bedside access is expected to improve patient experience, reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, and better support recovery, particularly for patients staying in single rooms. This initiative also allows for our staff and patients to experience what future healthcare will look like within our two new hospitals.
Rob Watson, Chief Nursing Projects Officer, said: “Funded through our Hospital Charity, this innovation creates a new digital gateway at the bedside, allowing patients to engage more easily with hospital services. From the outset, our ambition was to deliver far more than an entertainment system. We wanted a flexible, future-ready platform that could evolve into a multifunctional bedside hub and integrate seamlessly with the trust’s core digital systems over time.
At its heart, this is about caring for patients in ways that reflect modern expectations. Providing every patient with their own digital access helps reduce the stress and isolation that can come with being in hospital, particularly in single rooms, and reflects our commitment to improving the overall patient experience through thoughtful use of technology.”
Chris Booth, Digital Lead for the Norfolk and Waveney New Hospitals Programme, said; "This project was made possible through close collaboration across multiple services. Clinical teams, Digital Health, and Estates worked in partnership to deliver the installation seamlessly, ensuring there was no impact on the Trust’s bed capacity or the quality of patient care. The success of this initiative demonstrates the benefits that can be achieved through integrated working, enabling meaningful advancements in the way healthcare services are delivered to our patients.
In addition to its immediate benefits, the project will provide valuable insights to inform our new hospital programme. The installation offers an opportunity to test and evaluate new ways of working, refine processes and explore different methods of communicating with patients. The lessons learned will help shape our future healthcare environments and ensure that innovation is driven by real world experience and patient needs."
Dawn, one of the first patients on the Concept Ward to try the new digital bedside terminals, said: "I’ve been on the concept ward for two days and found the tablet so useful. I love that it has physio videos, seeing the exercises and being able to follow along was so easy. Having stayed in hospital before, having my own room and access to the tablet made such a difference to my stay. Before you had to watch what everyone else was watching on the TV, now you can watch what you want easily from the bed or the chair.”
The deployment supports key Trust priorities, including empowering patients to take a more active role in their care, reducing inequalities in access to services, and accelerating digital transformation. Feedback is being gathered from both staff and patients across a range of specialties, including medicine, surgery, paediatrics, maternity, and critical care, to inform future hospital design and service delivery.
