#TeamNorthMid blogs

"I think that art is a language that helps us connect, learn and build a capacity for resilience. I feel that my creativity is a gift, and it is a gift that I will always enjoy sharing with others around me." 

 Words by Harriet Armstrong

My name is Harriet Armstrong and I’m a medical photographer and illustrator with a First Class Honours in BSc Clinical Photography. After establishing my medical photography career at Guys and St Thomas’, I came to North Mid six years ago to manage its medical photography department and I now provide a medical photography and illustration service for all divisions at North Mid. 

My role is varied. I record a wide variety of medical conditions including routine (for example pre and post-operative photos) procedures, photographs for wound management, bereavement photos, and safeguarding photos which are used for legal evidence. My medical photos are taken to help doctors and other clinicians monitor medical conditions or to help safeguard patients. They are often used alongside other tests such as blood tests, x-rays and scans as part of the planning process. I also provide PR, event and editorial photography for North Mid publications.  

Before I retrained as a medical photographer in my late 30s, I was a commercial photographer with over 10 years of experience providing photography for the broadcasting industry (TV, film and radio). I also worked for the Royal family and a variety of high-profile entertainers; examples of this work can be seen on my website . This experience has stood me in good stead for a career in medical photography as every photograph counts!

I also have a BA Hons in Fine Art, and have kept up-to-date with my artistic practice alongside my career as a photographer. Since I have been at North Mid I have expanded the remit of medical illustration to include the production of hospital art to transform stark clinical environments into friendly spaces.

I have created and installed over 40 large scale art projects throughout the hospital including all the paediatric departments, Care of the Elderly wards, Horizon, our mental health A&E and the North Mid restaurant. In recent years I have also worked in partnership with Southgate School to provide their A-level art students with opportunities to exhibit their artwork in the main atrium of our hospital.

In June 2023, I established a Patient Arts Programme, secured charity funding to support this, and recruited volunteers to help run the programme. In this programme, I run weekly therapeutic art sessions for stroke patients in our Acute Stroke Unit (ASU). 

The art created by our patients is reproduced and displayed in the hospital for all to enjoy. Earlier this year, I worked in collaboration with our Stroke consultants and therapists on research that focused on the therapeutic connection between art and stroke recovery. The basis of our research was informed by observing the progress of patients that attend our art sessions in ASU. I collated all our findings and presented them in a professionally designed scientific poster which was displayed at the European Stroke Congress in Basel, Switzerland. Our research was positively received and delegates from other international hospitals were interested in adopting our approach by providing art sessions for their stroke patients. 

Research shows that art can help recovery from illness and keep people well. I find this extremely compelling, which is why I am passionate about creating a friendly and visually pleasing environment at a relatively low-cost, which enhances faster rehabilitation for our patients. 

Outside of working hours, my artistic practice is centred around my cultural identity, and to my surprise my art has attracted a fair bit of media attention recently. I have been on TV and radio, and BBC News wrote about me in an article .   

As part of my art practice, I also run weekly life drawing sessions in east London for the last 16 years. The art created by the participants of my group, Walthamstow Lifedrawing, can be seen here . Around 20 people attend each week. Even though I run these sessions, I do find this relaxing and it is a great way to meet other artists and like-minded people. 

Loved ones and people who are close to me will know that art is the essence of my being. I am a visual person and enjoy expressing myself creatively and encouraging others to find creative outlets too. I think that art is a language that helps us connect, learn and build a capacity for resilience. I feel that my creativity is a gift, and it is a gift that I will always enjoy sharing with others around me.

 

We thank Harriet for taking part in our #ThisIsMe blog series which focuses on the incredible diversity of our workforce across North Mid, beyond the usual protected characteristics of age, disability, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sex, and sexuial orientation.

We hope you enjoy reading the story - please help us encourage colleagues to do the same by sharing this post.

Feel free to share any feedback or comments. If you wish to share your own story or think you know colleagues who might want to share their experiences about diversity, please contact our communications team @northmid.comms@nhs.net.