Sherwood Forest Hospitals officially open their new Discharge Lounge with children from Wainwright Primary Academy

A new and spacious Discharge Lounge has opened at King’s Mill Hospital complete with ‘bespoke’ artwork courtesy of Wainwright Primary Academy, Mansfield.

The new lounge, which has had a complete re-design and will have significantly increased capacity, to improve how patients move through the hospital, was officially opened on Friday 3 May when some of the children helped ‘cut the ribbon’.

An art competition was launched by the Trust with the new lounge being named after the winning school and their design used as a ‘bespoke montage’ on the nurse’s station.

Wainwright Primary Academy, part of Diverse Academies was unanimously declared the winner with their superb design entitled “A Busy Hospital”  a project involving the whole school and facilitated by art teacher Annalise Kennedy.

Principal, Jon Chapman, said: "We saw this competition as a fantastic opportunity to educate our children about the hospital and its vital role in our community. It's crucial for them to grasp the various career paths and opportunities available in such a bustling healthcare facility.”

“Winning the competition with our children's creatively designed piece, now displayed in the new discharge lounge, fills us with pride. The hospital staff's warm reception and commendations have made our children feel truly valued. We're excited to nurture a lasting partnership with King's Mill Hospital."

For those patients waiting to be transported to wherever they call home, the new Wainwright Discharge Lounge will provide a comfortable and purpose-designed space as they wait for medication or transport or for their relatives to collect them.

Medical Director of Sherwood Forest Hospitals, Dr David Selwyn said,

“The improved new Discharge Lounge will help us to vastly improve our processes as we transition our patients back to their home or the place they call home.”

“It reinforces our commitment to provide outstanding care for all of our patients during the time they spend with us, in the best place at the right time.”

“As a major employer across Mansfield and Ashfield, it is important that we continue to strengthen our relationship with our community and look forward to having Wainwright as one of the anchors for this.”

Describing the children as, “an amazing group of tremendous ambassadors for Wainwright Academy” he continued:

“It was a real pleasure to host the children and their surprise at seeing their artwork displayed was priceless”

The lounge, which is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling patients to stay overnight ready for early discharge the next morning and significantly enhancing the care the Trust can offer to patients has an increased capacity for 19 beds and a variety of chair spaces. There are also four isolation cubicles to help avoid the spread of infection when necessary.

There is also a pick-up point outside Entrance 4, easily accessible for ambulances and hospital transport making it much easier for friends and families to collect their relatives who are waiting to go home.

Jayne Taylor, Team Leader welcoming the children to the newly-named Wainwright Discharge Lounge said

“When we devised the competition to engage with local schools, we never imagined for a moment just how amazing the finished artwork would look.”

“Today has been wonderful and we look forward, in the future, to building on the connection that we have made with the Wainwright Primary Academy”