The Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Children’s Assessment Unit and ward 16 has gone from drab to fab thanks to an artistic spring clean from local artists, schoolchildren and volunteers.

The idea for the makeover came from visitor and service user feedback which concluded that the area needed to be brighter and more ‘child-friendly’.

Ward 16 nurse, Aileen Haigh, who co-ordinated the work which has seen large art canvases installed around the unit and ward, said: “We wanted to create a calm but engaging environment for the young patients.

 “The assessment area can be a stressful place for patients and their carers as they wait to see whether they need to be admitted for treatment, while daily life on the ward can be monotonous for children despite the best efforts of their carers to keep them occupied.

“The pictures on the wall have proved a great distraction technique for the children and recent feedback has been incredibly positive.”

The work, which was put together by Southfield Primary School, Belle Vue Girls’ School, Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College, Dixons Allerton Academy artist Sian Hodgson, and volunteers, is part of the Foundation Trust’s continued efforts to encourage the local community to become more involved in the city’s hospitals.

Guests who attended the official launch of the revamped ward and unit also got the chance to visit the state-of-the-art simulation centre in the Field House education department which contains life-like patient simulators and an operating theatre complete with ‘Big Brother’ cameras which helps train medical and nursing teams under real-life scenarios.

Last October staff held a fundraising ‘buggy push’ around the grounds of the BRI along with children and families who use the service and as a result £1,360 was raised to buy art products for the makeover.

Speaking at the official launch, Bradford Teaching Hospitals chairman, David Richardson, said: “Everyone involved has done a superb job and it has changed the atmosphere of the children’s assessment unit and ward 16.

“It is a very calm and relaxing atmosphere and there is so much to see and keep children occupied with during their time on ward 16 that we hope it will help ease the anxiety and monotony of being in hospital.”

The Foundation Trust would like to thank the volunteers who provided artwork; Lin and Ron Robinson, Bob Haigh, Alex Archer-Todde, Emelya and Maddie Robinson, Lucy Micallef and Natalie Thornton; and Manningham Concrete who sponsored the artwork produced by Sian Hodgson.

If you have some time to give to your local hospitals and would like to get involved in volunteering, please call Christine Heaton, the Foundation Trust’s voluntary services nurse manager on Bradford 364309.