A HOSPITAL campaign is urging patients to get up and get dressed instead of spending their time on the wards lying in bed.

Inpatients at Warrington Hospital are being encouraged to get changed out of their pyjamas and into their own clothes while they recuperate in order to avoid the negative effects of spending long periods of time in bed.

Studies have shown that spending 10 days in a hospital bed can age the musculoskeletal system of a frail patient by 10 years.

The Get Up, Get Dressed, Get Moving campaign hopes to tackle this.

Advanced physiotherapist Heather Gholamali said: "We know that, certainly for older adults, staying in bed and being immobile can be incredibly detrimental.

"A lot of our patients feel that when they're in pyjamas they don't want to get out of bed and walk to the toilet, because they feel vulnerable or self-conscious.

"It makes them feel lethargic and strips them of their identity.

"You can lose stamina and you're also at really high risk of developing infection and things like blood clots.

"This campaign is trying to ignite a cultural change."

Relatives of hospital patients are also being encouraged to bring fresh clothing daily in a bid to encourage them to get out of bed.

A day in bed can decrease muscle strength by up to five per cent - also causing muscle shortening, changes in joint structure and a notable loss of leg strength.

Heather added: "The benefits of getting up and getting dressed are really wide-reaching.

"One upshot of the campaign so far is that there has been a reduction in the length of stay for patients.

"When somebody comes into the hospital who is acutely unwell, we try to maintain their function rather than allowing them to de-condition so they can get better quicker and leave the hospital in a better condition.

"There is a general conception within the public that when you're in hospital you need to stay in bed to recuperate, but all the evidence suggests that staying in bed for prolonged periods will actually make you sicker."