Birmingham Media Wall 180A new 'Media Wall' screen has been installed in a seclusion room at the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust's (BSMHFT) Eden Unit to help service users when they may be in a state of high anxiety or stress.

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) is the first mental health trust in Britain to install Media Wall technology. The touch screen can be personalised to meet the needs of its user and has the ability to display relaxing imagery, pictures that are meaningful to individual patients and be used for writing or drawing.

By using an external app, staff can determine which options are available and might help individual service users most. It can also be used as a television, radio, to play games or as a means for service users to talk to their families.

Robert Care, ward manager at the Eden Unit, said: “In the past, we have found it challenging to maintain service users’ contact with family and carers while in seclusion. This device enables ongoing communication between service users and careers, and helps maintain their support networks.”

The installation, created by Dutch company Recornect, can also be used to change the environment of a room by controlling lighting, blinds and the temperature.

Stephen Lovatt, senior estates manager for BSMHFT, added: "Working in partnership with Recornect… has enabled us to begin a transformation in the way that we provide care to patients. I can see how there may be other opportunities for the interactive media wall system being valuable to other areas of our Trust.”

BSMHFT is currently looking at whether the device might be used to support the delivery of clinical care elsewhere in the Trust.