Patients at Lichfield’s Samuel Johnson Community Hospital have been putting their creative talents to good use.
The walls of the renal unit have been transformed after a series of art sessions over the last 15 months.
Mary Creed, from Burntwood, has been a patient on the unit for the last 18 months and receives dialysis twice a week. She said: “Tapestry was something that I used to enjoy doing years ago. Since coming to the unit I’ve taken it up again and it has made such a difference to my experience of being in hospital.
“I can only use my one hand as the other one is attached to a machine so it takes me a bit longer to thread these days but I really enjoy it. It helps me to pass the time and gives me something to focus on while I’m in hospital.”
The programme has been introduced to keep patients active during their dialysis sessions. Consultant Nephrologist Dr Hugh Rayner secured funding from the British Kidney Patient Association (BKPA) to employ an art teacher to work with patients.
Helen Bishop, the renal unit’s Senior Sister, said: “Programmes like this bring out the person behind the patient and get our patients chatting about things beyond their medical condition.
“Any of our patients can get involved in the art sessions, but there’s no pressure and you don’t have to be a natural artist. Some of them had never drawn or painted until they took part in the sessions and now they love their artwork.
“Also, patients only have the use of one arm while on dialysis and this may mean they are unable to use their dominant hand so the artwork produced is even more impressive.”
The unit recently exhibited the work of patients in the main area of the unit and some of the paintings have been made in to a calendar for 2015.
