Pets should be allowed to visit their sick owners on hospital wards, nurses say
Research shows having a dog around improves mood and calms those with dementia
HOSPITALS should encourage pets on wards to speed up patient recovery, nursing leaders claim.
The Royal College of Nursing is drafting new guidelines to boost uptake of animal therapy.
It says the presence of pets can help relieve suffering, aid healing and make sick Brits happier.
Most hospitals do not allow animals on their premises.
But the nursing union wants this “taboo” to change.
Nine out of ten nurses back the move, saying patients with depression and other mental health problems in particular could benefit.
And two-thirds said contact with animals could speed physical recovery.
Other research shows having a dog around improves mood and calms those with dementia.
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The union will release the guidelines later this year – giving hospitals advice when to introduce animals into wards.
Lyndsey Uglow, a pioneer in animal therapy, says she and her golden retriever Leo have changed the lives of hundreds of children at Southampton Hospital.
Nurses said concerns about infection risk could be managed.
The RCN’s lead on long-term conditions Amanda Cheesley said: “Anyone who’s worked in this area can see the amazing impact animals have on the health of adults and children alike.
However there are so many myths around the dangers of having animals in health care settings that most organisations are too concerned to try it out.
“This protocol will help to dispel these fears by supporting hospitals to include animals in the care they deliver in a safe and professional way.
“We hope that it will encourage all health services to consider how animals can help their patients and help us to remove the taboo from what is a really remarkable area of care.”
GPs should encourage pensioners to get a dog to keep fit, according to research out earlier this month.
Glasgow Caledonian University experts found OAPs with a pooch spent an extra 22 minutes a day walking.
Despite pets being banned on hospital wards some people are so devoted to their pets they've found inventive ways of smuggling them in.
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