THESE red pegs will soon be a common sight for hospital patients across Oxfordshire in a move to improve their dignity and privacy.

The pegs, which read “engaged” are placed on curtains around a patient’s bed and used as a sign that no one should enter.

It is hoped the simple system will improve privacy when care is in progress or the patient doesn’t want to be disturbed.

And after trials at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and parts of the John Radcliffe Hospital, the scheme will now be rolled out countywide.

John Radcliffe ward sister Geraldine Yebra said: “When we first trialled them we didn’t realise the big impact they would have.

“The main advantage to them is that they provide a physical deterrent. They literally hold the curtains together. So where sometimes just a closed curtain isn’t enough to stop someone, the red pegs are.”

She added: “Soon people start to recognise the pegs as a ‘stop’ sign and it prevents them going inside.

Oxford University Hospitals Trust hopes the pegs will improve privacy for patients staying on all its wards.

Assistant practitioner Annie Walsh said: “Now when we are giving personal care, or patients are talking to doctors, everyone knows.

“The pegs are simple, but they have been very effective.”

The scheme was rolled out on Wednesday to mark Dignity Action Day, a national event aiming to ensure people in care are treated as individuals.

It highlights the need to make sure they are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.

Also celebrating the day were staff and residents at Heathfield House care home in Bletchingdon.

Activities co-ordinator Sarah Osborne said: “It was a fantastic day, we had lots of activities going on, from smoothie-making to dominoes and a quiz.

“It was all about giving people time and being with them one-to-one. And you could really see the difference it made.”