NEW trolleys designed to help patients with dementia have been introduced at Airedale Hospital.

The 11, colourful 'butterfly memory' trolleys are packed with products specially chosen to help people with the condition.

Items include games, quizzes, tactile blocks and arts and drawing materials.

The trolleys – donated by the Friends of Airedale – will be used by nurses, therapists and health care support workers but will also be available to carers and families when they visit.

Em Snowdon, practice development sister for older people at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The care and wellbeing of our patients living with dementia is very important to us so we are very pleased that the butterfly trolleys are now available on most wards.

"We also have 'butterfly champions' on each ward for patients, their families and carers to ensure there is someone to go to for help."

The trolleys take their name from the butterfly scheme, a method of alerting staff to the specific needs of dementia patients.