GRASP RESIDENCY Natasha Rampley

Given the close relationship between Accident and Emergency and Trauma and Orthopaedics it was decided that mixed media artist Natasha Rampley would work across both departments through two schools residencies. Natasha has just completed a residency in the Radiology Department of Frimley Park Hospital, where she created colourful and inspiring light boxes for ceilings and walls. She works with a cross-section of materials from ceramics and glass to painting and light boxes.

Accident and Emergency
The new Gloucestershire Royal will provide the largest waiting area specifically for children that Gloucester has ever had. It will have a specially commissioned floor created by Sue Kinley, which will follow the theme of flowing and still water linking Sue’s floor works throughout the hospital. Natasha has been working with children in year one and four classes of Tewkesbury school to explore ways of creating artworks which can connect to this theme, and which help calm and distract waiting children and their families.

“Children and their families can obviously be in a very distressed state when they come to hospital, and anything which helps to take their mind off what’s happening to them has got to be good”, commented Paediatric Nurse Joanne Wiggett, who came in to school to talk to children as part of the residency.

Trauma and Orthopaedics
In initial project meetings staff in Trauma and Orthopaedics were keen that the GRASP artwork for this area might be both distracting and educational. “Patients waiting in T & O will tend to be referrals – so will not generally be in quite the distressed state that they were in when they first came in to A & E,” explained senior nurse Mike Gardiner.

Natasha has been working with children at Holy Trinity School to create a range of artworks including a mosaic skeleton for the plaster room which staff can refer to in explaining basic anatomy. School workshops have also been informed by a visit from T & O consultant Dr Henderson, who explained some of the work of the department, from casts to hip replacements.

“I have found a lot of skills, expertise and ideas amongst hospital staff which have been in helpful in planning the project. The use of hospital materials such as the plaster of paris used in the Trauma and Orthopaedic department have provided a fun and interesting method of educating children about the experience of patients and medical staff alike.”

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