En Voyage_Issue#11_Flickbook

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