Wonder-Full
The Challenge.
In a hospital, good patient flow is central to patient experience, clinical safety and reducing the pressure on staff. It’s also essential to the delivery of national emergency care access standards. Experts consistently advocate focussing on patient flow as a key factor in providing effective health care. Clifton Hospital in Lytham St Annes is a vital service at the end of Blackpool Hospitals NHS Trust’s complex hospital discharge planning process. If Clifton Hospital is full, it puts pressure on patient flow in acute hospitals further up the chain. As part of a wider strategy to improve patient flow, Clifton Hospital wanted to explore how improving in-patient mental health and wellbeing could support their return to physical fitness and reduce their time in hospital.
The Strategy.
Working once again, in collaboration with arts partners, Ludus Dance, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Clifton Hospital, we designed a 12 week programme of regular arts provision to be delivered on every ward in Clifton Hospital, alternating artist-led creative writing and visual arts activities with chair-based movement and dance activities.
We knew that many patients had not been outside of hospital for a long time – one had been in hospital for 11 months - so in our research we explored how a lack of freedom and access to the ‘outside’ might impact on patient behaviour and mindset over time. Recognising the increased vulnerability, we designed a therapeutic arts programme that would bring the outside in and onto the wards to remind patients of the wonder of world outside the hospital. We called the programme 'Wonder-Full'.
The Artistic Outcome.
Over Spring and Summer 2018, we worked with patients at Clifton Hospital in Lytham to bring the outside in and onto the wards as part of a project we've called, 'Wonder-Full'. It's all about improving wellbeing on the wards and rooted in the thinking that healthy minds support healing bodies.
Together we built an installation of nature inspired objects, writings, textiles and sounds inspired by personal stories of enjoying the outdoors.
Being in hospital, or indeed any care facility in which you are reliant on someone else's physical and/or medical support, can be frustrating and boring. The days are long; the noise and routine, incessant; the visitors too few and far between. It can be hard to keep your spirits up. Through the weekly process of making and writing we reminded ourselves how the fresh air motivates and invigorates the soul, and how doing some creative can really soothe the mind.
From crochet and clay work to poems and painting, it seems using our hands and minds to create something new whilst focusing our thoughts outwards really helps. Over the course of our weekly sessions, we saw some of our participants get well enough to go home, whilst others told us they looked forward to having something constructive and creative to do - even if they've never done it before. Imagine learning a new skill in hospital, making a new friend, having a good conversation - small things that can make a big difference to the experience and duration of a stay in hospital. Wonder-Full provided a platform to make those things happen and gave patients a unique opportunity for creative expression in a supportive but, otherwise sterile, environment.
Read a blog post about the project by artist, Maia Leeke’s on the Ludus Dance website here.
The Result.
At the end of the project, Wonder-Full was nominated for the Innovation and Service Improvement Award at the 2018 Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Celebrating Success Awards. We didn't win, but we were thrilled to have been considered alongside so many important medical teams and traditional health programmes.
Since then, staff at Clifton Hospital have been setting up regular creative activities in the day rooms on each ward for patients to participate in during their stay in hospital.
Produced By Fable Arts, Ludus Dance in partnership with Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Clifton Hospital | Supported by Community Foundation for Lancashire United Utilities Lancashire Community Fund and Fylde Council.
