These are the issues that may actually cheer a beloved one in hospital

Being in hospital is miserable. By definition, you’re unwell, often in pain or discomfort, but you’re also quite probably lonely. Perhaps most of all, you’re likely to be very bored.

As doctors, we know that how patients feel psychologically plays a vital role in how their bodies heal. Which is why Sir Tim Laurence’s visits to his wife, Princess Anne, who spent five days in hospital last week after suffering a concussion, will have played such an important role in her recovery.

With a blue cooler bag in hand, containing what he said were ‘a few little treats from home’, Sir Tim represents the kind of loving attention that can do wonders for a patient’s mental health and have a knock-on effect on their physical wellbeing, too.

Over many years of working in hospitals it becomes clear that patients whose families make an effort do seem to do better. And research backs it up, showing that people with regular visitors recuperate quicker, report better mood and less pain, and have fewer complications.

So when you visit someone, how can you best support them through their recovery? The key is simple: make the person feel a bit special. By creating small moments of joy, you show them that they’re cared about.

That sounds obvious, but when you’re feeling worried about them, or are rushing to cram in a visit, it’s all too easy to forget.

First of all, do your best to keep your visit fun and upbeat.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t sympathise with their pain and fears, but try to store up a funny story or anecdote to lift their mood.

Positive emotions have been shown to increase a person’s resistance to illness and reduce recovery time.

When you feel upbeat, they’re more likely to, too – and there’s a neurological reason for this. A group of brain cells called mirror neurons are activated when we experience an emotion. Crucially, they also fire when we watch other people experience feelings, leading us to mimic them.

A balloon or card can also have a big impact. Or send flowers, if the ward allows it (call or check on the hospital website).

In a busy ward, it’s all too easy for older, less vocal people to be overlooked, so not only does a bedside surrounded by ‘get well soon’ wishes cheer up a patient, it also sends a subtle message to the nursing and medical staff that they have a lot of people who are concerned and care about them.

Bring in things that will make them more comfortable. Inflatable cushions that support the neck or a pillow from home can make a difference. A portable fan can also be invaluable in hot weather.

You might want to bring some good-quality food and snacks. In an ideal world, hospitals would provide nutritious, balanced meals, but this isn’t always the case. People recovering from an illness often have small appetites – they are less active, they may be constipated due to painkillers or they might be in discomfort – so make sure they have something healthy but tempting and tasty to graze on.

Food is fuel, and that fuel is vital when you’re recovering. Fruit snacks work well, especially oranges, which are high in the vitamin C that is essential for wound-healing. Nuts, high in protein, will aid recovery, too.

You could also help them drink more. Keeping hydrated while recovering is incredibly important as it ensures the kidneys are working to their best ability.

The jug of room-temperature water left sitting by a patient’s bed can be rather unappealing, so get them a good-quality squash or juice or bottles of flavoured water to encourage them to keep drinking. Don’t forget plenty of straws, if they are struggling with sitting up in bed.

A little bit of what they fancy is good, too. Chocolate can give a boost to mood (especially dark chocolate). Indeed, being ill in hospital is one of the few times I’d say that you can eat whatever you feel able to.

Puzzles, games, books – anything that keeps patients stimulated is a good idea.

Don’t discount easy pursuits such as colouring in – people often want something to do, but nothing too taxing.

A fun, trashy novel can be a good bet (now is probably not the time to get to grips with the more obscure novels of Thomas Hardy, for example). An easy crossword or word puzzle book passes the time, even if they’d usually turn up their nose at it.

Night time on a ward can be incredibly noisy and disruptive, so ear plugs and an eye mask can be a godsend and are better than relying on sleeping tablets.

A good-quality fluoride mouthwash can be beneficial. Being able to swish it around as part of their morning routine is not only good for their teeth, but will help them feel fresher, more awake and generally a bit more human.

I’ve seen many patients using their own soap and toiletries. While hospitals often supply them, it’s good if you have your favourite body wash or soap with you. The smells in a hospital ward can also be unpleasant, so something with a nice scent will help mask this – and scent has a powerful effect on our mood by boosting hormones in our brain. A scented hand cream, for example, can be used more than once during the day.

Thoughtfulness goes a long way, and will make a bigger difference than you think.

More people who are not diabetics are using blood sugar trackers in a bid to improve their diet and be healthier, but a study has suggested the gadgets could be having a negative impact on mental health.

When I worked in an eating disorder service I saw people whose problems started from using calorie-tracking apps. Soon, they were obsessively tracking everything.

So be careful – trackers can help us make healthier choices, but this can easily tip over into something decidedly unhealthy.

Legacy of TV star’s grief

The actress Jill Halfpenny has bravely detailed her battle with alcoholism. 

‘For a long time, alcohol… helped me escape, to stop thinking,’ she admits in her book, A Life Reimagined: My Journey Of Hope In The Midst Of Loss.

She believes alcohol was a way of coping with the trauma of the sudden death of her father when she was a child.

Increasingly we’re realising that addiction isn’t just about chemical dependency, but is a response to pain and grief, which gets in the way of being able to connect with other people. So often people use substances to take away feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Jill recalls her first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in 2013: ‘I experienced something I never have before – people, strangers, sharing how they feel. No small talk or pretence, just real authentic feelings.’

The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection.

To all fellow sun-phobes, you have my sympathy. I loathe the summer sun – the blistering heat and clammy nights. But if you so much as whisper that, actually, you’re not that keen on summer, people look at you like you’re from another planet.