A simple innovation developed by the staff at a Swindon hospital could soon change the way immobile female patients use the toilet during their hospital stays. The device is called UniWee. It is an adapted urinal bottle that is designed for women and could be now recognized at a national scale.

What Problem Does It Solve?

For women who are bed-bound or are unable to move freely in hospitals, relieving themselves could be a challenge. While there are traditional options like catheters, they do carry a risk of infection and discomfort. Bed pans can also be undignified and difficult to use. For years, the standard disposable male urinal bottle had been available, however, there was no widely accepted equivalent existed for women patients.

It is important to recognize the gap in care, and so the staff at the emergency department of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GWH) in Swindon decided to act.

Adapting A Male Bottle For Female Use

The hospital's emergency and trauma teams started to modify the standard male urinal bottle to make it usable for women. The adapted version features a wider, funnel-like opening and a bowl-shaped container which is made of carboard. The new design also allows women to urinate more comfortably and hygienically while sitting or even lying down. It also reduces the need for catheterization.

The UniWee is also being described as a "groundbreaking project" by the GWH and is being seen as a more dignified, less painful option for female patients.

An Idea Into Implementation

The early success of the UniWee within the Swindon hospital also spurred further development. The staff also collaborated with other NHS Trust across the South West to test the design and understand its broader impact.

There has been a deep research that went into device's effectiveness that has been formally published in the Emergency Medicine Journal. This is part of the British Medical Journal series. As a result, the manufacturer company of male urinal bottles has also stepped into create formal prototype for UniWee. This will prepare for larger scale production.

Support From NHS

Crucially, the NHS supply chain has now expressed support for the UniWee, raising hopes that it could be rolled out nationwide. This would allow hospitals across the UK to offer female patients a safer, more respectful way to manage toileting while immobile.

Dr Siân Thomas, an emergency doctor at GWH and the lead researcher on the project, said the team is excited about taking the UniWee forward.

“Our future studies will explore how the UniWee can reduce catheter use and improve bladder care for patients,” she said. “By gathering evidence, we hope to ensure that more patients and clinical teams benefit from this simple yet transformative solution.”

The next phase of research will include patient and public engagement to make sure the UniWee continues to meet the real-world needs of those who use it.

While for now, UniWee seems like a small innovation, the impact could be significant. It is a more humane alternative for women in hospital bed that allows them to carry on with their lives with dignity.

Vitamin D—also known as the sunshine vitamin—is one of the most important nutrients we need. While it is widely available in the form of sunlight, some people who get less exposure to it opt for foods rich in this nutrient (like seaweeds) or resort to supplements.

However, for those taking it directly from the sun, it does not mean directly standing in the sun. To get Vitamin D, it requires a proper time and exposure to certain parts of the body to sunlight. For the uninitiated, Vitamin D is synthesised from cholesterol on your skin when it is exposed to the sun.

What Is The Best Time?

Expose your skin to the sun in the middle of the day, particularly in summer. At noon, the sun is at its highest point, and its UVB rays (UV rays with shorter wavelengths) are most intense. That means you need less time in the sun to make sufficient vitamin D.

There is empirical evidence that supports it. A study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, investigated the best times for sun exposure to boost vitamin D levels. Researchers exposed ampoules containing a vitamin D precursor to sunlight hourly from sunrise to sunset in July and December. They found that in summer, the optimal time for vitamin D production was from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with peak hours between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. In winter, the window narrowed to 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, with peak production also between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. The study concluded that the best time for sun exposure in Riyadh during summer is from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM and after 2:00 PM, while in winter, it’s from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This approach is a cost-effective and enjoyable way to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Is Synthesised By Cholesterol In Your Skin

Vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the skin. That means you need to expose lots of skin to the sunlight to make enough. Some scientists recommend exposing around a third of the area of your skin to the sun. The British Skin Foundation recommends daily sunlight exposure of 10-15 minutes for lighter skin and 25-40 minutes for darker skin.

Why Are So Many Indians Vitamin D Deficient?

• Low sun exposure due to urban living, pollution, and indoor lifestyles.
• Dietary gaps, with many people unable to afford Vitamin D-rich foods like fish, eggs, and fortified dairy.
• Dark skin tones which need more sun exposure to produce Vitamin D naturally.
• Cultural clothing and sunscreen use, which reduce the skin’s ability to absorb UVB rays.
• High testing and supplement costs, further worsened by 18% GST on supplements.
• Rising obesity and chronic diseases which interfere with Vitamin D metabolism.

Thousands of people struggle to sleep across the world. A survey of 45,202 young adults in Norway has discovered that screen-scrolling in bed drives up your risk of insomnia by 59 per cent and cuts your sleep time by 24 minutes. Scientists have found another reason to put the phone down: a survey of 45,202 young adults in Norway has discovered that using a screen in bed drives up your risk of insomnia by 59% and cuts your sleep time by 24 minutes. However, social media was not found to be more disruptive than other screen activities.

"The type of screen activity does not appear to matter as much as the overall time spent using screens in bed,” said Dr Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Psychiatry. “We found no significant differences between social media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption — likely due to time displacement, where screen use delays sleep by taking up time that would otherwise be spent resting.”

Sleep is critical to our mental and physical health, but many of us don’t get enough. At the same time, an increasing number of people are accustomed to using screens in bed, which may be associated with poor sleep. Screen use is thought to impact sleep in four ways: notifications disturb sleep, screen time replaces sleeping time, screen activities keep you wakeful so you take longer to fall asleep, or light exposure delays circadian rhythms.

"Sleep problems are highly prevalent among students and have significant implications for mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being, but previous studies have primarily focused on adolescents,” said Hjetland. “Given the widespread use of screens in bed we aimed to explore the relationship between different screen activities and sleep patterns. We expected that social media use might be more strongly associated with poorer sleep, given its interactive nature and potential for emotional stimulation.”

The findings of this study suggest that it’s not just the content that keeps people awake but the overall duration of screen exposure before bedtime. When people spend prolonged hours scrolling through screens, they might not only be reducing their sleep window but also disrupting their sleep cycles. This can have a cascading effect on overall health, affecting mood, concentration, and even immunity.

Reducing screen time before bed could be a simple yet effective strategy to enhance sleep quality. Setting a digital curfew, using blue light filters, and engaging in relaxing bedtime routines like reading a book or practicing mindfulness can help counteract the negative impact of screens. Sleep experts also recommend creating a sleep-conducive environment by dimming the lights and avoiding stimulating activities at least an hour before bedtime.

With screen usage becoming a significant part of modern life, it’s essential to be mindful of how digital habits influence sleep patterns. The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation extend beyond feeling tired the next day — they can increase the risk of mental health issues, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders. By taking small steps to reduce screen time in bed, individuals can make significant improvements to their sleep health and overall well-being.

Shane, who had welcomed his second born son Kooper a year ago, noticed a strange glow in their child’s eye. Young Kooper’s parents, from Wales, explained that although after noticing this glow, they did not think much of it. They saw a white patch in their son’s eyes in low light, which prompted them to google the symptoms with one suggesting shining light directly into his eyes, which made the glow apparent! What they didn’t know at the time is that their son would soon be diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that affects kids under the age of six: Retinoblastoma.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents, it is one such disease that can unilaterally affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or any other factors. Every year more than 300,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer globally, according to the Indian Cancer society.

According to the American Cancer Society, Retinoblastoma is the most common type of eye cancer among children, it accounts for about 2% of all childhood cancer. However, it is a rare cancer affecting 3.3 cases per 1 million people under the age of 20

The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that 80% of children with cancer are cured, a surprising statistic showed that less than 30% of children are cured, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Unexpected Symptom Of Cancer

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) emphasizes that common indicators of retinoblastoma include a white glow in the eye – which may only be visible under specific lighting conditions or in photographs – a squint, a change in the eye's appearance, or swelling of the eye.

Often, only a single symptom might be present. While a photo can reveal the tell-tale white glow, it's not always the case. Therefore, CHECT strongly advises seeking professional medical advice even if a photo doesn't show a glow but other symptoms are apparent.

Kooper’s Diagnosis And Initial Complications

Shane described the anxious period leading up to the diagnosis, "I noticed it on a Friday, and we decided to take him to the doctor first thing on Monday. The weekend was filled with panic, endless online searches, and imagining the worst – it was a terrifying experience. The doctor referred us to the local hospital a couple of days later, which was another unsettling time of uncertainty. We had read that there could be other reasons for the obscured red reflex in his eye, so we clung to the hope of a different diagnosis." The family had an appointment at Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital in December 2024.

Shane reflected on receiving the devastating news, "I don't think anything can truly prepare you to hear that your one-year-old has cancer, might lose his eye, or might never see out of it again – it was an incredibly emotional time. We immediately called our parents and used WhatsApp groups to inform the rest of the family. They had already suspected retinoblastoma after our initial hospital visit, so this was confirmation. We used the information provided at the hospital to reassure them and explain the treatment plan. The doctor discussed various chemotherapy options and also offered genetic testing, which we opted for, considering Kooper has an older brother and for Kooper's future and potential children."

Treatment for Retinoblastoma and Side Effects

Kooper has started receiving chemotherapy as the primary treatment for his retinoblastoma. His father, Shane, explained that the treatment plan has involved multiple approaches so far, including delivering chemotherapy drugs directly into an artery, using laser therapy, and administering chemotherapy via injections. The effectiveness of these different methods has varied.

A recent medical examination indicated that the main tumor in Kooper's eye had reduced in size. However, the doctors also noted the growth of smaller clusters of cancerous cells, known as spores, within his eye. Because of this, there's hope that the most recent treatment, the chemotherapy injection, will be successful in addressing this new development.

Shane also described a difficult side effect that Kooper experiences after each treatment session. For several days following his chemotherapy, when he is on steroid medication, Kooper becomes very distressed. This period of discomfort makes it impossible for his parents to send him to nursery, which is challenging as they both work. Despite these difficulties, Shane mentioned that Kooper surprisingly seems to enjoy his visits to the hospital.

What is Retinoblastoma?

According to The National Eye Institute retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer that forms in the retina, it can cause blindness as well as can be life threatening. However, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent vision loss as well as from spreading cancer

The most common thing parents notice with this eye cancer is that the black circle in the middle of their child's eye looks white when light shines on it. Often, this shows up in flash photos. The National Eye Institute explains that other symptoms include.

• Eyes that look crossed or one eye that wanders.
• An eye that looks sore, puffy, or red.
• Eyes that seem watery all the time.
• Not being able to see very well.
• Falling down more often.
• Bumping into things.
• Having trouble getting around the house.
• Holding toys and books very close to the face to see them better.