IT may look like a cuddly toy, but this cute seal pup is actually the latest gadget being used to help dementia patients.

Paro, a furry white robot, can open and close its eyes, make small sounds, move its flippers and tail and respond to a voice.

Its job is to help calm and relax patients with dementia and help spark a connection, much in the same way as a cat or a dog would.

The Burrowes mental health ward at Salvington Lodge in Worthing is one of only two places in Britain to test out the robotic seal.

The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the ward, has been awarded a £10,000 grant to carry out a research project into the robot’s effectiveness.

Paro has all the benefits of a pet but is easier to manage in a ward or care home than a real animal. It can sense touch, light, sound and movement and is programmed to respond when someone interacts with it.

Paro also reacts to sounds and can learn to recognise a name.

The creature, which weighs about the same as a small dog, is based on a harp seal pup, which its inventor Takanori Shibata saw in Canada.

Dr Shibata, who recently visited the ward to see for himself how the project was going, also recorded the cries that Paro uses.

He said: “Paro is relatively new to dementia care so I am really pleased to be able to see where it is being used.

“There is evidence from Japan that it can help reduce levels of distress for people and help them connect with something in the same way that therapy pets can.”

Sally Stapleton, the trust’s clinical psychologist, said: “We are taking the time to get this right – asking patients and their families how they feel as well as training staff fully in its use.

“Some people may choose not to interact with Paro but others have been fascinated and it has sparked some interesting conversations.”

It is hoped Paro will highlight the need for innovation and research on dementia in inpatient settings.

Penny Dodds, lecturer practitioner for the University of Brighton and the trust, said: “We are hoping our work at The Burrowes will find the same things as studies in Japan – that Paro increases social interaction for people with dementia, helps people who are experiencing distress, loss and grief, lessens their anxiety and improves their quality of life.

“We all have a responsibility to make sure that the life of someone with dementia is the best it can be.”