The therapy dog lighting up hospital wards

Barley the Pets As Therapy dog recently joined the West Suffolk Hospital volunteering team and is already creating smiles

A hospital has welcomed a new therapy dog who has already made a difference to patients, according to staff.

Thirteen-year-old Barley, and his owner Victoria, started volunteering at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

Barley is a new Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog and goes onto wards to enhance the health and wellbeing of patients.

Michelle Boor, volunteer coordinator at the hospital, said the duo were already creating lots of smiles.

"They've settled in really well and they're making a big difference," she said.

"Barley also does a lot of other volunteering and goes to care homes, I believe, so it's not unfamiliar, his role, but it is new to the hospital."

Barley has been registered and temperament tested through the PAT charity.

He volunteers a couple of hours each week at the hospital and his owner, and hospital staff, are always mindful of his wellbeing.

If he were to become stressed or unwell, he would be taken away from the ward and cared for, the charity said.

"We have specific wards that he can go on to," Ms Boor continued.

"Obviously he can't go on to every ward because of infection prevention - we have to be quite clear and have authorisation.

"We normally assign a PAT dog to a specific ward so the staff can get to know the volunteer and the PAT dog.

"Barley goes onto G3, one of our general medicine wards, where there tends to be older patients.

"There tends to patients there for longer periods of time and he is putting a smile on the patients' faces and also the staff."

West Suffolk Hospital has a number of volunteer roles

Recently, Barley visited the hospital with a Halloween-inspired knitted pumpkin hat that delighted patients.

"When I took them to the ward a couple of weeks ago for their very first session the nurse in charge had a great big smile on her face," Ms Boor added.

"She said she had a gentleman who she couldn't wait to introduce the dog to and it put such a massive smile on the face of the patient.

"That then relieved the staff as well because that patient was then happy and brightened the mood.

"It was great for his welfare."

West Suffolk Hospital is looking for other PAT dogs to join the volunteering team.

The dogs have to be registered and temperament tested either through PAT or through the other charity Canine Concern.

Their owners also will have to be registered volunteers.