Sensing Spaces of Healthcare

I remember… Training in Radiography in what had been the mortuary of the hospital. Its vast ceiling meant that the office was on a type of gallery in the middle. It was quite daunting.

I remember… When I was a child I had my appendix out. You were wheeled outside in the rain to your operation!

I remember… When I trained in the 1970s/80s we had protected lunch and coffee breaks – now people have to have quick breaks on wards. There is less time to decompress and talk to colleagues.

I remember… Coming around after an operation and general anaesthetic. I had never experienced an operation before so this was a very unusual feeling. I remember the nurse getting tapping my shoulder and her saying “you are ok, it is safe to open your eyes”. I was still very groggy, but I knew I was safe & secure, even though I had not fully come out of the ‘FOG’ of anaesthetic.

I remember… I was a nurse in London in the 1960s … My immediate memory is of calm, the peace & quiet at 3am on night duty. Contrast with how noisy a different hospital was in 1996 when I took my mother in. Chaos! The shops & the people & the noise now in the main entrance. So busy – like a shopping centre. I needed calm and efficiency.