Sensory room opens at Causeway Hospital to support vulnerable patients

Lisa Barclay and Alison Cook look on as Fiona O'Neill cuts the ribbon to mark the official opening of the new Sensory Room in Causeway Hospital with help from her daughter Gracie.

A new sensory room has opened within Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department, offering a calmer, more supportive environment for patients with additional needs — and marking a significant step forward in inclusive healthcare locally.

Designed to provide relief from the noise, crowds and bright lights of a busy emergency setting, the bespoke space features soothing lighting, calming projections, and a range of visual and tactile elements.

The aim is simple but powerful: reduce sensory overload and improve the experience for some of the most vulnerable patients.

Inspired by a mother’s experience

The project was sparked by Emergency Department Consultant Fiona O’Neill, whose perspective on patient care changed profoundly following the birth of her daughter, Gracie.

Alison Cook, Caroline Quinn, Fiona O'Neill with her children Caolin, Gracie and Oisin, and Jane Colville pictured at the opening of the new sensory room in Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.

Gracie, who has Down syndrome, required open-heart surgery at just three months old — an experience that shaped Fiona’s vision for a more compassionate emergency department.

Fiona said:

“I returned to work following a complicated maternity leave with a new passion – an Emergency Department which was more considerate and inclusive of those more vulnerable in our society.

“I wanted to create a safe space for those who struggled with things like noise, crowding in waiting areas and bright lights. Having not long become a mother of a child with additional needs I knew now was the time to drive this vision forward.

“My experience of bringing a sick child to an ED was not always pleasant, and this inspired me to think differently and improve the care that could be provided for other vulnerable patients like Gracie.”

A team effort to transform care

Caroline Quinn, Alison Cook, Victoria McCrory, Fiona O'Neill, Lisa Barclay, Nuala McLaughlin, Kim Jackson and Jane Colville pictured at the opening of the sensory room within Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department.

The sensory room became a reality through collaboration between Emergency Department staff, the Trust’s Learning Disability service, wider Health and Social Care colleagues, and service users themselves.

Caroline Quinn, Acute Liaison Nurse for Learning Disability, highlighted the wider significance of the initiative.

She said:

“The creation of this space reflects our ongoing commitment to making acute hospital settings more inclusive, accessible, and supportive.

“It is more than just the addition of physical space - it signals our commitments towards greater empathy, accessibility and respect for individual needs within our emergency care services.

“We know that going to ED can be a daunting experience, both for patients and their loved ones, but with the room’s calming lighting, tactile resources and a focus on reducing sensory overload, we hope we can make a positive difference.”

‘A real success story’ for Causeway Hospital

ED Consultant Fiona O’Neill with her daughter Gracie inside the new sensory room.

Emergency Department Sister Lisa Barclay described the project as a shared ambition to improve patient care for families who need it most.

She said:

“We had a collective goal to create a space which would help us to provide enhanced patient care, created with the needs of our patients and families in mind. The completion of the sensory room is a huge achievement for everyone involved and a real success story for Causeway Hospital.

“On behalf of the entire ED team I want to thank everyone who helped to bring our vision to reality.”

A quieter space, a bigger impact

The new sensory room at Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department features soothing lighting, calming projections and a range of visual and tactile elements.

While modest in size, the new sensory room represents a meaningful shift in how emergency care is delivered — recognising that clinical treatment is only one part of a patient’s experience.

For families navigating already stressful situations, particularly those with additional needs, the space offers something invaluable: calm, dignity, and understanding when it matters most.

At a glance

• A new sensory room has opened in Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department

• Designed to support patients with additional needs by reducing sensory overload

• Features calming lighting, projections, and tactile resources

• Inspired by Consultant Fiona O’Neill’s experience as a mother of a child with Down syndrome

• Developed through collaboration across ED staff, Learning Disability services, and service users

• Aims to make emergency care more inclusive and accessible

• Staff say it reflects a wider commitment to empathy and patient-centred care

• Described as a “real success story” for the hospital

• Expected to improve experiences for vulnerable patients and their families