Emma’s prize-winning vision of our Never-ending Hope Service

An occupational therapist used her experiences of working in the NHS during the pandemic to create a prize-winning artwork.

Emma Pope, who spent 10 years working full-time for East Kent Hospitals, most recently at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, won the RoZ Lambert prize for her exhibition created as part of an access course at the University for Creative Arts.

It included the piece Hanging By A Thread, which used a bed sheet as the base for an embroidery collage.

Emma, who lives in Hythe, was inspired by her colleagues to create the work, which depicts the NHS as the Never-ending Hope Service.

She said: “I wanted to explore the grief, anguish and joy we all go through every day as NHS staff, and to reflect on the experiences of working through the pandemic.

“The sheet is deliberately crumpled and creased; it’s not perfect but it still works and it’s something we can wrap around a patient, which is how I see the NHS.”

The starting point for the work was a workshop Emma organised with her colleagues, where she asked them to think about a moment of joy in their working day and to create a collage to represent it.

One colleague recalled a patient who wanted an ice cream, and the joy that it brought watching her enjoy the treat.

Emma said: “I wanted the workshop to be fun, and an opportunity to help remind people why they came to the NHS in the first place.

“They all had a busy day on the wards but made time to come and take part after their working days and they found they appreciated being able to find those moments of joy amongst the stress.

“Art has always bought me joy and I have such fond memories of the art studio at school, where I felt I came alive, and I wanted to bring some of that joy to my team.”

Emma gave up her full-time role to complete the access course, but still works part-time through NHS Professionals.

She is now planning to start a visual communication degree at UCA in Canterbury.

She said: “I had toyed with the idea of doing something in art and design for years but never took the leap.

“Then after the pandemic I had a shift in my thinking and a bit of a reflective period, contemplating what I would like to be doing in five years.

“UCA were advertising an open day for the access course for a year, and I went to have a look with no hope or agenda.

“It ended up being a two-year decision to finally take that leap of faith, with lots of conversations with my management team who have been so kind and supportive and encouraging.”

Emma has also signed up as a volunteer for East Kent Hospitals, and her whippet Daisy is now a Pets As Therapy dog, so the pair visit wards to bring cheer and comfort to patients.

She hopes to run more workshops for staff and patients to encourage people to use art as a way of expressions themselves.

Emma said: “I want to give back in a different way now, using the creative skills I am learning.

“I think the NHS gets under your skin so I can’t let it go and I enjoy being able to still work with patients and having that contact with my team, who are such a part of me.

“I feel genuinely content now and I want to share that with my NHS colleagues, who are very much in my heart.

“It has been a long and hard journey to get here and recognise my mental health was not where it should be. I credit my team for giving me that space to grow and to explore different avenues.

“I am still part of the team, but I can also learn and develop and use new skills to support the wellbeing of patients and staff in a different way through volunteering, art and creativity.”