NEWS
Rainbow of hope wall brightens up Swansea hospital
A rainbow of hope wall has been created by occupational
therapist Annie Hill in Swansea’s Cefn Coed Hospital to
thank NHS staff and boost morale.
Annie was inspired to create the wall in the Tawe Clinic
after seeing pictures created out in the community. ‘I
thought, why can’t we bring that into the hospital where
we would all see it?’ says Annie. ‘We’re in quite an old
hospital; the site could be a bit intimidating with big
old Victoria corridors, so it’s good to make it a bit more
welcoming.’
Annie started off by putting a call-out to friends on social
media, as well as reaching out to artists on Instagram.
Favourite pictures include one created by a member
staff elsewhere in the health board who created a picture of
a nurse with rainbow.
The corridor has provided a boost for staff, says Annie:
‘I’ve had a really positive response. I see people come past
and smile, and it lifts their mood a bit.’
Separately, Annie took part in the free portraits for NHS
key workers scheme, which has been run by artist Tom Croft
on Instagram, and had a photo of her with her daughter at
the beach turned into a portrait by artist Beck Lee.
‘The pandemic has of course had a huge impact on
staff who are working on COVID wards, but it has an
impact for all those in the NHS,’ says Annie. ‘I wanted to
put my name forward as someone in therapies and mental
health, as the impact on those groups by the virus has not
necessarily been recognised. A lot of our patient group,
about 50 per cent, are coming in to the ward in part as a
result of losing their protective factors at home. They can’t
take part in meaningful activities, or might have previously
had their family member dropping around or they could go
to see a friend, and they can’t do that now.
‘For me it’s lovely to have this portrait as it’s a visual
reminder of how I can protect my wellbeing – going to the
beach to take part in my meaningful activity.’
The rainbow of hope wall at Cefn Coed Hospital
Annie’s portrait by artist Beck Lee
New RCOT digital occupational therapy webpage
A new page on the RCOT website is pulling together information on digital tools and skills for occupational therapists.
The new page pulls together information from RCOT, key features from OTnews and links to resources from other
bodies. The page will be regularly updated, with updates in July to include steps around implementing telehealth.
Suzy England, RCOT professional adviser in health informatics, said: ‘The shifts in working practices during the COVID-19
pandemic have massively sped up the changes in how digital tools are used by our members. This new page is the ideal first place
to review how you are using digital tools in your work.
‘The launch materials cover everything from handing remote outpatient appointments to managing risk, but it is just the start –
bookmark the page as we will be adding lots more material in the coming months.
Other resources on the page include an innovative way to make sure that everyone involved in virtual assessments knows what their
role is, created by the adult social care team at Reigate and Banstead. It follows a spike of interest in the team’s work after they were
featured in May’s OTnews, covering their efforts to cut waiting lists and quickly deploy virtual assessments during the pandemic.
Access the page at: www.rcot.co.uk/digital-first-occupational-therapy. Turn to page 57 for more on digital inclusion.
OTnews July 2020 11