The headsets and other technology, loaned to the trust by Rescape Innovation, enable patients to explore a tourist hotspot or wander along an idyllic beach.

The first patient to test the headset was Swale Borough and Faversham Town Councillor Kieran Golding, who also works as a trade union professional, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year and had a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy before surgeons were able to remove the tumour.

Golding spent six nights in hospital and was able to use the VR headset twice a day, testing a range of different options including different locations and experiences before answering questions about his experiences.

He said: ‘I trained as a therapeutic counsellor so I believe in holistic treatments and I was very interested in this research when I first heard about it.

‘It was wonderful to be the first patient to try it and I hope my feedback will be useful and others can benefit from this in future.'

Sharon Turney, clinical trials unit co-ordinator at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, said: ‘The hope is that using the VR headset will help patients relax, reduce anxiety, and potentially reduce pain and support general recovery.

‘A lot of research has been carried out using VR before surgery but not after so this is a very exciting project.'