The artwork by Lucas Roy, which centres on the nursing staff at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, was created in 2024 for the ‘Nursing in the Tees Valley’ exhibition at Kirkleatham Museum.
Now, it has been placed outside the hospital’s respiratory wards 24 and 25.
This is part of a new initiative to showcase works by artists in the area across the trust’s estate, with the aim of improving the hospital environment for patients, staff, and visitors.Painting in the respiratory ward (Image: Supplied)
Dr Jean MacLeod, lead medical examiner and chair of the trust’s visual arts council, said: “The environment of a hospital can have a huge impact on patient, visitor, and staff experiences, and art can help support patient mood, recovery, and wellbeing.
“Lucas’s work is one of the first in what we hope will be the start of showcasing and celebrating local artists across our hospital estate, and we are absolutely thrilled to have this piece to display in what we thought was a very appropriate location outside of our respiratory ward.”
The mixed-media montage is a vibrant depiction of current and past nursing staff, local landmarks, and the collective experiences of staff and patients during the pandemic.
Mr Roy said: “My artwork is often inspired by popular culture, nature, and current events, and I like to use a variety of mixed media in my pieces.
“This piece in particular was created as a montage of images to try and capture the essence of nursing, as part of the ‘Nursing in the Tees Valley’ exhibition.
“Each image is a vivid story of care and resilience, and I drew upon the stories and histories of a group of local healthcare professionals before I created the work.
“The impact that healthcare professionals can have on the patients is just as important and profound as the impact patients can have on clinicians, and I hope that my work is a good representation of that special relationship.”
The ‘Nursing in the Tees Valley’ exhibition, which ran until September last year, invited local nurses to share their collective memories and experiences.
Mr Roy added: “It’s really great to think that my artwork will be on display and will be viewed in one of the settings and by some of the very staff that inspired it.
“I hope that it will serve as a source of comfort for those coming to the respiratory wards, will give them a moment to reflect, and will serve as a reminder of the important work and sacrifice from all NHS healthcare providers.”
The painting was officially unveiled at an event attended by members of the respiratory team, including group chief nurse Hilary Lloyd and site director of nursing Beth Swanson.
Maria Lawson, one of the ward matrons, said: “This beautiful artwork is a fitting tribute to our nurses, both past and present.
“We have some very poorly patients in the unit, and concerned relatives pass by this artwork every day to visit them – if it can in some way bring comfort to them even for a moment, then it has succeeded.”
Professor Derek Bell, chair of University Hospitals Tees, said: “We’re delighted that Lucas has allowed us to celebrate and enjoy this poignant painting and to help improve the environment for people attending our respiratory wards.
“It’s already been a big talking point since it has been hung, and I know that the staff think it is marvellous.”