Growing success of hospital gardeners!

2:50am Friday 21st March 2008

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A team responsible for creating a sensory garden to help the mental well-being of patients at a Bradford hospital is enjoying the sweet smell of success.

The Enhancing the Healing Environment Team at Bradford District Care Trust has fought off competition to become a finalist in the Yorkshire and Humber Health and Social Care Awards.

The team worked with patients at Lynfield Mount Hospital in Bradford to create a sensory garden.

It features mosaics, a water feature creating privacy in the consultation rooms, lawns, plants providing colour all year round, and seating areas with benches made from polished volcanic rock.

The team's commitment to the project has seen it nominated for the People's Experience Award. Team leader Jenny Jones said: "The garden has really benefited everyone.

"It is in an area that both staff and patients can use.

"It will really come into its own in the next couple of months and will mature, looking better each year.

"A huge amount of consultation and design thought has gone into this project. The comments from people passing and using it have been amazing. Everyone thinks it's a success.

"I believe it will last a long time because of the level of thought put into it by ward staff and service users.

"It means they really appreciate it. It's a lovely aesthetic space."

Anna Osbourne, a garden designer and star pupil from Askham Bryan agricultural college in York, helped design the garden.

Ward manager Beckie Bass said: "The therapeutic benefits of this garden are wide and far reaching. The service users love using it for both relaxation sessions and quiet chats."

The team will attend a regional awards ceremony in Sheffield on Thursday, April 3, where the winners will be announced for each of the 12 categories.

Winners will then be automatically entered into the prestigious national awards in London, held in July 2008.

Margaret Edwards, chief executive, NHS Yorkshire and Humber, said: "These awards offer a real opportunity to thank our staff for their hard work and commitment in delivering world class high quality services. I am pleased that an outstanding number of entries were received and the standard was extremely high."