New cover-up hospital gown revealed

A new hospital gown saving patients from the "embarrassment" of the current backless garment was on display today as part of a competition aimed at improving patient dignity and privacy.

The Ben de Lisi-designed striped reversible garment, keeping the patient's body covered and with snap fasteners on the side to allow instant access by medical staff was one of the winners of a Design Council competition commissioned by the Department of Health.

The design replaces all NHS nightwear as well as the old gown and comes with a fleecy shrug to keep patients warm, a bag to keep a mobile phone, and trousers.

The gown was on show at the Design Council in London alongside other winning entries including a "bed pod" with a curved ceiling to help ensure conversations remain private on wards and a "capsule" washroom to help provide single-sex toilet and washing facilities on wards.

Other designs included a reclining day chair, described as a hybrid between a wheelchair and a bed, created by PearsonLloyd, which previously developed the Virgin Atlantic premium economy seats.

New York-born de Lisi, who is based in London, said he was pleased to be involved in the competition.

"I welcome the fact that the name of Ben de Lisi will be on the tongues of hundreds of thousands of people and will affect their lives," he said.

"Dressing red carpet stars is great, but Ben de Lisi is not about being ageist, or elitist, it is about reaching out to everyone."

Health Minister Ann Keen said her experience as a nurse had shown her that patients expect and deserve a "dignified" experience when they go into hospital, alongside high quality care.

She said: "I have spent years being embarrassed by asking people to wear revealing patient gowns and I know that patients will feel far more confident with the new design.

"We want to ensure that patients' experience of the NHS goes from good to great and the exciting designs unveiled today show patients what they can expect from the NHS of the future."

Marjorie Wallace, advisory board member of Design for Patient Dignity and chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said: "When people are ill, they can feel anxious and deprived of their confidence and self-respect.

"That is why it is so important to be treated in a safe and healing environment where trust and dignity can be sustained. Simple, elegant solutions such as those launched today could help restore peace of mind and thereby improve chances of recovery."

David Kester, chief executive of the Design Council, said: "The prototypes launched today provide simple, practical responses to the healthcare issues that we all care about.

"Design for Patient Dignity demonstrates that when we listen to the public and bring frontline NHS staff together with industry, great innovation and enterprise thrives."

More than 60 design teams applied for the competition and were judged by a panel of experts in design, patient care, hospital management and nursing.

It is hoped the designs will be introduced to hospitals next year.