Journal - 07-06-2021:
Tayside Children’s Hospital
Progress on site at the Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells is coming along well. Our interior design features lots of colour and original artwork for the children and parents – reducing the anxieties often present in hospitals, making it less clinical and more welcoming.
Now kids in Tayside have been asked to help choose artwork for the reception and waiting areas at the new children’s theatre suite.
For the last 6 months, we have been working closely and co-ordinating with top local artist Suzanne Scott from WhimSicAL LusH who has designed two wonderful and inspiring concepts to choose from.
The first theme is called ‘Woodland Wanders’ which focuses on woodlands and green spaces and includes images of local animals and birds, lots of green hills and bushy trees.
The second theme is called ‘Riverside Adventures’ and draws inspiration from the River Tay, which includes the iconic Tay Railway Bridge, sail boats and lots of waterside animals, especially puffins.
Children, families and the general public can have their say and vote for their favourite design at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9STG3BX. The survey closes on Friday 25th June so vote now.
The new suite will allow many more children to be treated in a child-friendly environment, with some of the design elements having already been developed with input from families and hospital staff.
Every year around 3,000 children and young people receive surgery at Ninewells Hospital with half of those children receiving treatment in adult environments, due to the lack of space in the children’s wards.
The new children’s theatre suite will double the current capacity for children’s surgery. In future, children being treated in the Tayside Children’s hospital will remain within one area of the hospital as all facilities including the medical ward, the new surgical facility and the paediatric outpatient clinic will sit on level five at Ninewells.
The Archie foundation has been involved within the project since the early stages of development and has raised a total of £2 million for the Children’s Theatre Suite.
Development on the new Children’s Theatre Suite at Ninewells Hospital began on site in summer 2019. All rooms within the unit have now been built to RDA’s designs and are currently being fitted out and specialist medical equipment for the operating theatres is being installed. Construction is on track to be complete by the end of the year.
The current fit out stage is very exciting and involves the installation of tactile fixtures and fittings such as the bespoke reception desk and the cabinetry in all the rooms. It also involves the installation of some of the more technical medical equipment for the two operating theatres. This has helped to move the project from looking like a building site towards the calm and welcoming environment we want for our young patients. Over the next few months, work will continue with the decoration and implementation of the carfuly designed colour schemes and we can’t wait to introduce the bespoke artwork being developed by artist, Suzanne Scott.
Robert Muirhead, paediatric senior nurse, said:
“I would like to encourage as many children and young people as possible to get involved in choosing one of these two fantastic artwork themes. Both designs are colourful, interesting and full of so much detail that it really is too difficult a decision to make, and that is where you, the children and young people of Tayside, can really play your part. Taking part in the short survey and telling us which design you like the best means that your choice will count towards the final decision of which theme will be on display in the new Children’s Theatre Suite.”
