Little bit of peace and quiet

Danny, one of our public members

For the first time, a staff member and a public member have come together to write a joint blog post. It promotes the concept of joint blogging where people come together to share and speak on a key theme. LCH has hosted blogs recently written with colleagues from the local authority, hospital chaplaincy, the University of Leeds, third sector and other NHS Trusts.

"The theme of this blog is the visit that Danny made to York Street Health Practice. Danny is one of the public members of LCH and also volunteers for the Expert Patients Programme, but most of all he is also a service user of a number of services provided by Leeds NHS. Danny visited and spent time with staff discussing homeless and asylum issues and models of care for the vulnerable. We also did a visit to St George's Crypt. The Crypt are a key partner of the Health in Leeds and have cared for homeless people since the 1930's. Kim Parkinson, Training and Housekeeping Mentor, showed us around and explained the vital work they do in Leeds. Kim is someone who does incredible work in this city for the most vulnerable and never seeks any limelight. York Street knows Kim as she has helped the practice build a presence at the Crypt. She expresses what good compassionate care is all about.

We started off the tour of the Crypt by seeing the amazing services and work they provide. We got an insight into the busy environment, vital work and fast pace of the work they do. We ended the tour by finding a place within the busyness that was different, the Chapel, and that's where this story starts. When Danny entered the Chapel he felt what many other visitors have felt. Here was a place of peace, stillness and quiet. The three of us sat down and talked about this. I (John) asked Kim if any staff use the Chapel and she answered, "All the time. So do clients. They just come in to sit down and enjoy the peace." The Chapel, although small, had a calming, passive atmosphere with an amazing theme throughout. On the walls there was a number of pieces of artwork all themed around the Last Supper. They featured services users from the Crypt to represent the Apostles. The artist had used his own face to represent Judas. There was circular seating and a cross in the corner. The Crypt's allocation and use of this space expressed their commitment to staff and service users. Although there was more to see at the Crypt we couldn’t help taking time to just sit there. We talked about the need for more places like this. Outside was a world of rush, push and stress. As we sat there, there was an atmosphere of calmness and tranquility. What was it that made us feel this way? We would venture the following as possible answers · Here was a space cut off from noise and hustle and bustle. There was a natural coolness that supplemented the calmness of the room.     Somewhere anyone can feel at ease. The lighting and furniture supported this calmness. We were seated – not rushing around. We were consciously open to the sense of calmness and quiet and it became where we were. 

This raises for us two needs. The first is the need for all of us to find some peace in our busy and noisy days no matter what we are doing or where we are. How can we find a little bit of peace and quiet in the turmoil and stress of work and life. It's a big question yet in its answer lies the welfare and wellbeing of our healthcare staff. If we can't find these places of peace and calm somewhere in our daily life then we would suggest that we have a real problem. There is a pressing need for us all to locate and utilise means of nurturing peace in the day. The famous French philosopher, Pascal, wrote that ‘All man’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.’ This appears on the surface to be a strange and even way out statement. Actually it isn't. We think that Pascal is talking about how when we don't have peace in our lives and especially peace with ourselves we can't sit in a room alone. This sense of unrest and inner distress touches all that we do. The need for peace is universal. We all need it and we should all seek it. Health should lead the way in supporting colleagues to good wellbeing actions and plans. We cannot have wellbeing without peace. This brings us to our other need.

For most of us we won't be able to turn on a sense of calm and peace like a light switch. It needs work, practice and external supports. The little chapel at the Crypt challenges us here. How do we design our buildings? We factor in desks, meeting rooms and kitchens. Do we feature in quiet rooms? Do we feature in places where people can feel peace and calm? And if not, maybe we should. Wellbeing means the creation of well places and spaces. We need to have a dialogue about what a wellbeing office or building looks like. We hope wherever in this city of ours buildings are built for statutory or third sector services in the future this can be figured into the discussions. What a thing it would be if we could create services where staff had these places of peace and inner refreshment and the effects permeated the rest of the building, environment and most importantly its care for patients. We could renew services and care in a radical and effective way."

Daniel Lipzith, public member of LCH

John Walsh, York Street Health Practice