The ‘front door’ area of the Victoria Hospital comprises the hospital’s accident and emergency department, the admissions units, AU1 and AU2 as well as radiology and the children’s ward. Staff in these ‘admissions areas’ tend to work in tremendously high-paced busy environments with precious little opportunity to access outdoor space during their shifts.
In our department there is no daylight, no natural light, so access to a space that is close by (especially that we don’t have to change out of uniform to access) would be hugely appreciated.
Areas including A&E and radiology have no windows and no natural light at all. Given the nature of their work, many staff in these departments cannot wander far from their areas, even during breaks, in case they are required for an emergency, so that the first a busy radiologist will know of any rain shower, will be when they notice that a patient’s coat is wet.
It was against this backdrop that a group of staff from across areas including emergency medicine, workforce and staff wellbeing, estates and health promotion came together to request funding from the charity to transform a nearby courtyard. Their aim: to provide a peaceful outdoor rest space for staff by renovating the then unused, and unloved, courtyard space next to Admissions Unit 2. The group were also further convinced by conversations with colleagues who’d reported on the benefits to staff from the addition of the beautiful garden space at the Haven, Queen Margaret Hospice in Dunfermline.
Research shows that staff wellbeing significantly improves productivity, care quality, patient safety, patient satisfaction, financial performance and the sustainability of our health services. Importantly, this chimed perfectly with one of Fife Health Charity’s key objectives, promoting staff physical and mental health.
Having a communal space for all staff would increase our cohesiveness. I know lots of faces, but not names.
