A lick of paint will go a long way

Wexham Park Hospital has given a waiting room a vibrant transformation to ‘promote calm’ for its teen patients.

The paediatric emergency department at the Slough hospital identified the waiting room as a ‘challenging’ place for children who were overwhelmed easily or had mental health needs.

An existing small room, off the main waiting room, for teen patients who needed space and quiet was well-used but staff said it was becoming clear that it was ‘no longer a place that helped promote calm’ for their young patients.

Wexham Paediatric ED matron Lauren Whitty said she connected with Together as One and Emerge Advocacy, a volunteer service which runs groups for children aged 12-25 with mental health needs.

In one working group, young people shared feedback on how the room could be changed to benefit any teen needing it in the future and suggested the room be transformed from its current

‘pale and unassuming’ interior to a ‘vibrant, colourful and welcoming place to be’.

Lauren said: “This room is a cosy and bright environment for our teenager service users. They now have the ability to watch TV and relax while waiting for their assessment or a treatment plan.

“The volunteer services

Emerge Advocacy and Together as One, who visit young people in the ED, are also able to use this room, so it was important that the feel of the room was right.”

Helen Brady from Inspired Space, who previously created artwork in Wexham’s old and new emergency department and at Heatherwood Hospital facilitated the transformation of the waiting room.

The emergency department’s charity fund covered part of the project and the majority of the makeover cost was covered by Wexham Paediatric ED Senior Sister Katie Moody’s mum, Lesley Barker-Smith, who raised £400 in a charity raffle at her pub, the White Hart in Chalfont St Peter.