King’s College Hospital in London has been working to transform their Emergency Department, which is one of the busiest in the country. Here, Dr Chun Chiang Sin Fai Lam, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist at the hospital, describes how Gaming the Mind supported the development of the hospital’s Low-Intensity Area, by using gaming to create a more welcoming space…

How Gaming the Mind is helping create a calmer environment in King’s A&E

When we began developing the Low-Intensity Area at King’s College Hospital, one of the first things we talked about as a team was how to make the environment genuinely therapeutic for patients in acute distress. The Emergency Department is, by nature, fast-paced and overstimulating, and for individuals already struggling with anxiety, agitation, or feeling overwhelmed, that environment can heighten those feelings.

We wanted the Low-Intensity Area to offer something different: a space where patients could feel safe, supported and able to take a moment away from the pressure and activity of the wider Emergency Department. That meant thinking not only about clinical interventions, but also about the small things that can help someone feel more settled and in control during a difficult period.

I had worked with Gaming the Mind before on a similar project: their previous donation to King’s College Hospital’s Liver Unit showed how gaming can provide a welcome distraction during prolonged hospital stays. That experience made me confident that bringing Gaming the Mind into this new Emergency Department project would add something meaningful.

Gaming the Mind’s donation of a Nintendo Switch has already made a noticeable difference to patients in the Emergency Department. It gives patients something familiar and engaging to focus on when they need a break. In that way, it is helping to create a space that feels calmer, kinder, and less clinical, without compromising safety.

This is another example of how relatively simple solutions can make a meaningful difference to the experience of being in hospital. For someone in acute distress, having the opportunity to pause and engage with an activity on their own terms can be highly valuable.

I’m grateful to Gaming the Mind for supporting King’s College Hospital once again. Their continued involvement has helped us think differently about what a therapeutic environment can look like, helping create a calmer, more comforting environment for our patients during some of their most challenging moments.

Thank you to everyone who supports Gaming the Mind and makes projects like this possible. We encourage teams who think gaming could benefit the people they support to get in touch with us.