Volunteers made pairs of knitted, crocheted, and crafted pairs of hearts as part of the “Hearts in Hand” scheme at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Families and loved ones were separated from each other when hospital visiting was restricted or cancelled, especially for people hospitalised with coronavirus. To help people feel connected together while they were apart, people on the hospital’s COVID wards received one heart and their loved ones received the matching pair.

Lead Nurse Alison Robinson was inspired to introduce the scheme at her hospital, after seeing similar ones around England. She said: “Having something to touch and hold, knowing that their relative has the exact matching thing with them is very special and we hope it will help people with their distress.” People were also encouraged to phone, video call and to send letters, messages and photographs to a specialised email inbox for staff to read out to their loved ones.

Volunteers made pairs of knitted, crocheted, and crafted pairs of hearts as part of the “Hearts in Hand” scheme at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Families and loved ones were separated from each other when hospital visiting was restricted or cancelled, especially for people hospitalised with coronavirus. To help people feel connected together while they were apart, people on the hospital’s COVID wards received one heart and their loved ones received the matching pair.

Lead Nurse Alison Robinson was inspired to introduce the scheme at her hospital, after seeing similar ones around England. She said: “Having something to touch and hold, knowing that their relative has the exact matching thing with them is very special and we hope it will help people with their distress.” People were also encouraged to phone, video call and to send letters, messages and photographs to a specialised email inbox for staff to read out to their loved ones.

Volunteers made pairs of knitted, crocheted, and crafted pairs of hearts as part of the “Hearts in Hand” scheme at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Families and loved ones were separated from each other when hospital visiting was restricted or cancelled, especially for people hospitalised with coronavirus. To help people feel connected together while they were apart, people on the hospital’s COVID wards received one heart and their loved ones received the matching pair.

Lead Nurse Alison Robinson was inspired to introduce the scheme at her hospital, after seeing similar ones around England. She said: “Having something to touch and hold, knowing that their relative has the exact matching thing with them is very special and we hope it will help people with their distress.” People were also encouraged to phone, video call and to send letters, messages and photographs to a specialised email inbox for staff to read out to their loved ones.

Volunteers made pairs of knitted, crocheted, and crafted pairs of hearts as part of the “Hearts in Hand” scheme at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Families and loved ones were separated from each other when hospital visiting was restricted or cancelled, especially for people hospitalised with coronavirus. To help people feel connected together while they were apart, people on the hospital’s COVID wards received one heart and their loved ones received the matching pair.

Lead Nurse Alison Robinson was inspired to introduce the scheme at her hospital, after seeing similar ones around England. She said: “Having something to touch and hold, knowing that their relative has the exact matching thing with them is very special and we hope it will help people with their distress.” People were also encouraged to phone, video call and to send letters, messages and photographs to a specialised email inbox for staff to read out to their loved ones.