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<strong>En</strong> <strong>Voyage</strong><br />
THE ROOM HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO<br />
A SPACESHIP INTERIOR, COMPLETE WITH<br />
PORTHOLES, CONTROL PANELS AND AIRLOCK<br />
DOORS. ‘INSTEAD OF HAVING TO EXPLAIN<br />
WHAT’S HAPPENING, STAFF CAN SAY, “WOULD<br />
YOU LIKE TO COME INTO THE SPACESHIP?”<br />
AND CHILDREN GET THAT.’<br />
At the Princess Elizabeth Hospital,<br />
AFI’s work has had a positive effect<br />
on patients and the functioning<br />
of the hospital. The X-Ray Room<br />
is a great example: the brief was<br />
to make the room more friendly<br />
and approachable for young<br />
patients, since frightened children<br />
can be difficult to scan, and if they<br />
don’t keep still they have to be<br />
rescanned, which increases the<br />
dose of radiation they receive as<br />
well as having a knock-on effect<br />
on waiting times. The room has<br />
been transformed into a spaceship<br />
interior, complete with portholes,<br />
control panels and airlock doors.<br />
‘Instead of having to explain<br />
what’s happening, staff can say,<br />
“Would you like to come into the<br />
spaceship?” and children get that.<br />
We also included lots of things<br />
to distract them while they’re<br />
being scanned,’ says Hugh.<br />
Le Marchant is a rehabilitation<br />
ward; patients could have been<br />
involved in a car crash, undergone<br />
an amputation or been affected<br />
by a brain injury or stroke. ‘When<br />
you arrive in hospital, the first<br />
thing that happens is you’re taken<br />
to a bed, but in a rehabilitation<br />
ward they just want you to use<br />
your bed for sleeping. There<br />
isn’t a part of the body that isn’t<br />
adversely affected by inactivity<br />
and under-stimulation,’ explains<br />
Hugh. AFI’s response has been to<br />
design artwork featuring the views<br />
you would have from a cliff path,<br />
complete with plants and local<br />
landmarks. Staff are interested in<br />
integrating the artwork with how<br />
they communicate with patients –<br />
there’s a subtle difference between<br />
asking a patient to walk to the<br />
end of the corridor and back, and<br />
saying, ‘Can you walk to Le Hanois<br />
Lighthouse and back?’. Another<br />
project at the PEH is the Giffard<br />
orthopaedic ward, where colours<br />
and natural subjects create a sense<br />
of tranquility and relaxation.<br />
AFI also helps islanders to create<br />
their own art, improving their<br />
mental wellbeing in the process.<br />
Arts on Prescription is a series of<br />
eight-week courses at Styx Centre,<br />
provided to those experiencing<br />
chronic pain, bereavement, mild to<br />
moderate depression, anxiety and<br />
addiction. This is part of a wider<br />
movement of Social Prescribing,<br />
which is gaining momentum with<br />
GPs. A study conducted by the<br />
University of West <strong>En</strong>gland shows<br />
that for every pound invested<br />
in Social Prescribing, £1.69 is<br />
saved. In areas where Social<br />
Prescribing is established, GP<br />
appointments have fallen by 21%<br />
and home visits by 26%, with a<br />
23% reduction in A&E admissions.<br />
Mentor David Ummels is proud<br />
of the success Arts for Impact has<br />
had so far: ‘Since it began, AFI<br />
has been able to deliver close to<br />
£100K of projects engaging with<br />
an A-list of parties, from Generali<br />
and the NHS to AGFA, the States<br />
of Guernsey HSC and key local<br />
charities, which is testament to our<br />
entrepreneurial spirit.’ Although<br />
some artists may choose to lock<br />
themselves away in a studio, the<br />
Arts for Impact team is changing<br />
the Guernsey community in a<br />
positive – and healthy – way.<br />
LE MARCHANT WARD - DESIGN ARTWORK<br />
FEATURING THE VIEWS YOU WOULD HAVE<br />
FROM A CLIFF PATH, COMPLETE WITH PLANTS<br />
34 <strong>En</strong> <strong>Voyage</strong> | Aurigny’s Magazine