PATIENTS at Worcestershire’s hospitals are set to benefit from the ‘power of poetry’ with the appointment of a ‘Poet in Residence,
Ade Cooper, Worcestershire’s current Poet Laureate, was announced as Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s first ever ‘Poet in Residence’ at the Trust’s Board meeting in December, formalising a partnership which will explore how poetry can provide comfort and enhance wellbeing and healing for patients.
He will now use of poetry and creative writing to enhance the patient, carer and family experience of care.
Future projects being explored include encouraging anyone within Worcestershire who has any connection with the Trust to submit their poems which can be showcased on hospital wards, and running some live events (Covid restrictions permitting) to mark any events such as Carers’ Week and Volunteers’ Week.
Anna Sterckx, the trust’s head of patient experience and engagement, said: “We are always keen to find new and creative ways to engage with our local community and we are delighted that Ade has said yes to become our first ever Poet in Residence.
“Ade has worked with our Trust voluntarily in the past, developing poetry slams at Christmas and sharing reflections to support awareness for Carers’ Rights Day and now we are formalising that partnership to explore how we can raise awareness of issues and enhance the patient, carer and family experience when coming into our hospitals.
“We aim to enhance the hospital environment through our developing focus on poetry to provide comfort and enhance wellbeing and healing.”
Ade added: “I am absolutely delighted to be given the honour and privilege of being the first Poet in Residence for the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Poetry is a great way for people to articulate their feelings and emotions and as a disabled person myself I can attest to how powerful words can be in acceptance and in healing.
“I am looking forward to working closely with the Trust, to use poetry creatively, and to hopefully prompt patients, carers, staff and volunteers to maybe even try writing themselves.
“We are all poets, it’s just that some of us write them down.”
Email [email protected] for more on the poetry projects and how to get involved.
