AN innovative pilot using smart technology to help make hospital wards quieter for both patients and staff has been launched in Truro.

The Silent Hospital Pilot Project aims to transform the postnatal Wheal Fortune Ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) by introducing software that silences patient call bells and drives audible alerts to mobile phones carried by midwives and nursing staff.

Patients, staff and visitors should experience the benefits of a calmer environment and, if the pilot is successful, the new technology could be extended to other wards across the hospital.

This will be the first step to potentially introducing other silencing digital technologies.

“Our postnatal ward is always a busy place, with many parents and newborn babies often unable to get much needed quality rest due to the noisy environment,” said midwifery director Sally Brittain. “The babies that have been born prematurely will also benefit greatly from the quieter and more nurturing environment to support their development.

“We hope to demonstrate that it is possible to make our wards quieter through smart yet simple digital solutions.”

The project has been two years in the planning and is the first to be trialled as part of the development of the new Women and Children’s Hospital Programme.