Wakefield Hospice has ‘brought the outside inside’ with a series of LED panels from Visualite, transforming the look and feel of corridors and rooms across the building, after winning £10,000 in a Visualite healthcare sector competition, and having the panels installed free by a local contractor. The sensory lighting panels create the effect of natural lighting indoors, projecting high-definition natural images illuminated by LEDs. The panels are sold through nationwide wholesaler, YESSS Electrical, and – Visualite says – ‘allow patients to experience the warmth and familiarity of outdoor scenes in spaces without external windows’. Visualite said: “The LED wall and ceiling panels create a relaxing ambience, helping to calm anxiety, reduce claustrophobia, and enhance wellbeing.”
Wakefield Hospice won the Visualite competition after staff demonstrated their knowledge of the impact of the environment on people with advanced active, progressive, and life-threatening illness. They described their vision for their internal environment, and illustrated how staff, patients, families, and visitors, would benefit from the installation of the lighting. The competition was open to all UK healthcare organisations, and was judged by a panel of healthcare experts.
After their win, hospice staff worked with YESSS Electrical’s Wakefield branch, and took on board patient feedback, to curate the most appropriate images for each panel location, as different scenes, colours, and details, suit different applications and elicit different emotional responses.
Hospice Communications officer, Ryan Colliar-Grint, said: “The Visualite panels offer a great way to brighten up spaces throughout Wakefield Hospice. A number of our central corridors don’t have windows, and these light boxes on our walls and ceilings provide a great alternative to mimic the experience of natural light and beautiful scenery.”
A member of the clinical team added: “The majority of our images are of nature, which is so calming to be around for our patients, their families, and our staff.”
Visualite panels have been installed in healthcare locations across the country, including at University Hospital Southampton, Sheffield Children’s Hospital, and the Royal Free and Barnet hospitals in London. The company offers a range of high-definition images to select from, but clients can also incorporate their own images and artwork to create bespoke panels. With a tough outer protective coating, the Visualite system offers fully wipeable surfaces for ease of maintenance and longevity.
Wakefield-based electrical and mechanical contractor, mORNI, installed the Visualite panels free of charge.
Pictured, left to right, are Wakefield Hospice’s director of Income Generation, Helen Knowles; Ward sister, Adel Bennett, and Deputy director of Income Generation, Fran Lightfoot.