Dying Matters Awareness Week - residents asked to judge art exhibition

Rebecca Taylor, Macmillan end of life care administrator and Elizabeth Hall, palliative care MDT co-ordinator

Members of the public can get involved in judging an art exhibition at hospitals run by The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, as part of a national awareness week.

The Pennine Presents Art Exhibition is being held at each of The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust hospitals – North Manchester, Oldham, Fairfield in Bury and Rochdale Infirmary, to coincide with national Dying Matters Awareness Week which runs from 9 to 15 May 2016.

The week which was originally set up in 2009 by the Dying Matters Coalition aims to promote public awareness of dying, death and bereavement. This year’s theme is The Big Conversation which encourages people to talk about their wishes towards the end of their lives, including where they want to die and their funeral plans with friends, family and loved ones. Talking about dying makes it more likely that you, or your loved one, will die as you might have wished and it will make it easier for your loved ones if they know you have had a ‘good death’.

None of us like to think about getting ill and dying, but not talking about it won’t make it go away – any more than talking about dying will make it happen sooner. Having the big conversation can help you to live well and to make the most of life until the very end.

The Trust’s End of Life Care Team have organised the Pennine Presents art exhibition which has seen artwork from paintings, drawings, poetry, ceramics, photography, textiles and other handmade crafts all submitted to be judged by visitors to the event. Each piece of artwork which has been submitted by staff from The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, their families and friends has been created with the theme of dying matters, with interpretations being both literal and emotional.

The exhibition will be on display on the following dates:

• Monday 9 May from 10.30am until 2.30pm in the Atrium, Rochdale Infirmary
• Wednesday 11 May from 10.30am until 2.30pm in the Gallery restaurant, North Manchester General Hospital
• Thursday 12 May from 10.30am until 2.30pm outside the Broad Oak restaurant, Fairfield General Hospital
• Friday 13 May from 10.30am until 2.30pm in the Café Royal, The Royal Oldham Hospital

Visitors to the event will be asked to vote on their favourite piece by placing the name of the artist into a ballot box. At the end of the week when the exhibition has toured around all of the Trust’s hospitals, the artist with the most votes will be chosen as the winner and awarded a £50 voucher.

An additional prize will also be given to one lucky voter, who will be picked at random.

Alice Davies, Macmillan associate lead cancer and palliative care nurse, said: “Having looked at the artwork submissions so far, these are outstanding and it is fantastic that individuals are engaging in such a valuable event, raising awareness of dying, death and bereavement. We are hoping the exhibition will open up conversations and help us to understand individual’s choices and wishes at end of life to facilitate a good death.”

Gill Harris, chief nurse at Pennine Acute Trust, said: “Last year we had a fantastic response to our Pennine Presents art exhibition and so it is even more thrilling to know that this year our staff and their family and friends have really got behind the event and we have received some amazing art work along with some really touching stories. I am looking forward to going to view the exhibition at our hospitals and casting my vote for my favourite piece.”