TY - JOUR
AU - Walker, Kim A.
AU - Cunningham, Kathryn B. 
AU - Ferguson, Julie
AU - Gibson-Smith, Kathrine
AU - Scanlan, Gillian
AU - Cecil, Joanne Elizabeth
AU - Gordon, Lisi
AU - Laidlaw, Anita Helen
AU - Pope, Lindsey M.
AU - Peter, Johnston
AU - Aitken, Gillian
PY - 2025
DA - August
TI - Investigating discrepancies in perceptions regarding the provision of hospital Rest and Relaxation spaces in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A qualitative study
JO - BMJ Open
VL - 15
IS - 8
DO - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-096154
AB - Objectives To investigate discrepancies in perceptions regarding the accessibility and availability of rest and relaxation (R&amp;R) spaces between hospital doctors in Scotland and NHS Scotland regional health boards (HBs), with the intention of informing best practices for organisational policy on the provision of R&amp;R spaces both now and in the future. Design A qualitative study, through an inhabited institutionalism (II) lens, of semi-structured interviews of hospital doctors across the career continuum in Scotland and all NHS regional HBs in Scotland providing written information relating to R&amp;R space provision. Setting NHS Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Participants Hospital doctors (n=30) who had participated in a larger qualitative study and provided specific insights on R&amp;R spaces. All NHS Scotland regional HBs (n=14). Results Although HBs reported the provision of R&amp;R spaces, numerous doctors reported R&amp;R spaces had been removed, relocated or were inaccessible. Furthermore, limited awareness of their availability attributed to inadequate communication, compounded the issue. This divergence between institutional reporting and front-line experience can be interpreted through the lens of II, which posits that institutional polices are often interpreted and implemented differently. Conclusions This study emphasises how crucial R&amp;R spaces are to promoting doctors’ well-being especially during the time of high stress. HBs must not only guarantee the accessibility and physical availability of R&amp;R spaces but also enhance their communication regarding the provision.
PB - BMJ Publishing Group
UR - https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/publications/46ca06cb-7055-4e24-9065-41a499ca34e0
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
KW - Hospital care
ER