Dr Shelley James, a lighting design consultant, TEDx and keynote speaker, author, and elected member of the WELL Light Advisory Team, discusses the significant positive impact that today’s advanced lighting technologies can have both on patient and service-user recovery, state of mind, and mood, and staff’s wellbeing and ability to deliver the optimal and most efficient care, no matter where the healthcare setting
The mental health sector in the UK faces a perfect storm, with around 3.8 million people in contact with NHS mental health, learning disability, and autism services last year, up almost two-fifths since before the pandemic, with mental health rising to being in the top 10 leading causes of health loss worldwide.1,2 This pressure is taking its toll on healthcare professionals, with the highest rates of burn-out and staff turnover found in the mental health sector, according to the King's Fund. Its research also suggests that around one in 10 positions are currently vacant, as 390,000 (28%) of social care workers quit their jobs in the year 2022/2023.3
The cost of medication for mental health conditions is also rising fast, with over 23 million antidepressant items prescribed in the last quarter of 2024 at a cost of £60 m — a rise of 9.4% from the previous quarter.4 The physical infrastructure is also feeling the strain, with a recent ERIC report highlighting a multi-billion pound shortfall in repair and maintenance across the healthcare estate, with an estimated £18.8 bn investment needed simply to cover the backlog of essential repairs.5 At the same time, the NHS has published ambitious targets for carbon emission reduction, driving for an 80% reduction in the next seven years, and reaching Net Zero in 2040.6
New evidence suggests that the right light at the right time can safely and cost-effectively improve outcomes, and reduce the need for medication in a wide range of mental health conditions — from depression and bipolar disorder to early onset dementia, with specific benefits for neurodivergent 'spiky' profiles among patients and staff alike. Lighting can also reduce medical errors and patient complaints, mitigate the impacts of shift work, and improve staff engagement. Smart lighting can reduce energy bills, and the cost and disruption associated with unplanned maintenance, and also improve asset management. Some clinicians even consider lighting to be a medical intervention, with a recent editorial suggesting that current standards constitute a violation of the Hippocratic oath: 'First, do no harm'.7
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