Staff at the University Hospital of Wales want to “make it as Christmassy as possible” for patients over the festive period.
CARDIFF schoolchildren are being encouraged to draw Christmas pictures and make decorations to send to the Covid ward at the University Hospital of Wales.
The appeal has been started by hospital staff on social media and been shared around community groups, with many parents and teachers already on board.
Wards around the hospital are usually decorated with a tree, lighting and various ornaments to help bring some festive cheer to patients.
However the usual decorations are unable to be used on the Covid ward as they would have to be thrown away afterwards due to the risk of transmission of the virus.
In order to combat this problem, staff are asking children to get creative and produce artwork that can be stuck on the windows and walls of the ward to brighten it up.
Writing on Facebook, Vickie Batten, a nurse from the University Hospital of Wales Covid ward, said: “We’d love some pictures drawn by anyone that would like to put a Christmas smile on all our faces on A7 (the hospital’s Covid ward).
“It can be anything from Christmas trees, to baubles and Santas, pictures of presents to traditional nativity pictures – all will be greatly received.”
The campaign is similar to the one earlier in the year when children drew pictures of rainbows to thank the NHS and decorate both their windows at home and hospital wards.
Staff from the Covid ward in the University Hospital Llandough have launched a similar appeal.
A post shared by many members of hospital staff from around the area on Facebook read: “Christmas is an awful time for anyone regardless of what they have come in for, to be stuck in a hospital.
“We want to try and make it as Christmassy as possible for the patients. These patients will truly appreciate it as will the staff that will be working over the Christmas period.”
The latest data available from Public Health Wales shows that in the week ending November 15, there were 128 inpatient confirmed Covid-19 cases in all wards across the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – the highest number since May.
Anyone wishing to send pictures or decorations should post them to:
Ward A7
University Hospital of Wales
Heath Park Way
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
