Cold, often stark and definitely institutional, hospital waiting rooms have been a place for family and friends to wait uncomfortably.Not surprisingly they’ve reinforced the fact that your loved one is sick, likely uncomfortable and possibly in pain. Recognising this, a family waiting room more along the lines of a hotel lobby, or upscale airline lounge has been created on the third floor at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.The muted green geometric print upholstery has a calming effect on the mind. This can be especially helpful when anxiety and fear may be gripping those coming to visit hospital patients.The room is part of the hospital’s bid to improve its service to the community. Run by the facility’s Quality and Risk Management Department, it’s where the new patient advocate manager Toni Bridgewater has her office.She explained that the family waiting room was created to help ease congestion in hospital rooms.“Usually in the evenings the wards get busy,” she said. “There is a two visitors per patient rule. This is a nice place to sit and wait.”And she said the room could also be used in emergency situations when a family may need to hear news privately.The room has seating for 30 people, two televisions, outlets that enable laptop use and lots of magazines.Its primary use is a waiting area for those visiting patients on the hospital’s general wards. There already exists a special waiting room on the second floor for family of patients in the intensive care unit.