Working together, compassionate care, improving wellbeing for all to share.
The NHS is dear to all our hearts, minds, and in-growing toenails. It’s a national treasure that represents the very best of our caring intentions. From cradle to grave, we desire the very best of health for ourselves, our loved ones and indeed all others too.
Also much more than just health, the NHS is a significant part of the economy, with a huge workforce of staff and volunteers that work tirelessly and are committed to the vision. It innovates science, technology and pushes forward our knowledge to better our everyday human healing practice.
Created to tackle pain, suffering and health inequalities on an humungous scale, the NHS is phenomenal in its achievements in the past 75 years. And while we celebrate the success, we also recognise the challenge. The universal right to health and life is an ongoing ever changing thing, with an equal share of up’s and down’s.
So to praise the many things that the NHS is, the Arts Team have worked with local artist Stephen Lee Hodgkins and staff to create ‘The Fortunes of the NHS’. A pack of playing cards, with 5 ways to play that celebrate the NHS and all the wonderful people and places that make it happen. Made with good people of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital NHS Trust as part of ‘Our National Health Stories’ these cards are full of hope and imagination.
‘The Fortunes of the NHS’ are a playful tool to help us talk about our health, think about the future of healthcare and pass the time together with a bit of fun. They can be played as a quick and simple game of ‘pairs’, or like that of ‘rummy’. They can be used as storytelling prompts for creative exercises to tell tales that break the ice, help develop passionate and persuasive presentations, or in activities that plan for the future, understand the now and reflect on the past.
The Arts Team and Stephen will be giving demonstrations around the Trust and leading patient and staff workshops with the cards. The Arts team, supported by the Friends of York Hospital will be giving away limited edition packs of ‘The Fortunes of the NHS’ cards. Stephen designed the cards, which contain 32 doodles and positive quotes reflecting everyday things and happenings in and around the Trust. So if you would like a pack, or for us to come along to play a game with you in your workplace to support staff, visitor and patient wellbeing, or do a workshop with your people and team please do get in touch.
As the card ‘The Break’ reads;
‘Thank you for all that you do, breath out, relax’.
