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Funds raised through Giving Day in 2022 have allowed for artistic additions that give some patients at The Prince Hospital something to engage with cognitively.

Have you ever been confined to a hospital bed for an extended time? If so, you may have felt there was not often something to keep your mind occupied.

Some of the sickest patients in The Prince Charles Hospital’s thoracic ward can now look up and let their minds wander into nature, following the installation of Healing Ceilings.

Healing Ceilings are artist-designed medical-grade ceiling tiles. While hospitals are inherently clinical, the idea behind these artistic additions is to add colour, and energise and enhance the space for patients.

“It gives them something to cognitively engage with while they’re in hospital. We specifically chose ceiling panels with links to nature, as there is a lot of evidence that having links to nature can help your recovery and mood,” said Eat Walk Engage Program Facilitator TPCH, Liana De Michele.

Being in hospital and away from the comfort and familiarity of home can be difficult for anyone.

For kids who may not understand why they are there and what may be involved in their care, it may even be a particularly scary experience and one that can shape their feelings and view of healthcare well into their adult lives.

The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, through The Common Good, is proud to be a partner in an incredible alliance for sick kids called Hospitals United for Sick Kids (HUSK) (formerly Curing Homesickness) – the only national alliance of hospitals for children in Australia.

The alliance aims to fund projects, equipment and research that help get sick kids home, and back to the things they miss.

“At Hospitals United For Sick Kids, we believe kids should lead the happiest, healthiest lives possible. Illness and injury can interrupt their childhoods, however, we aim to minimise the impact of these interruptions by funding life-changing projects and research to improve the lives and welfare of sick kids across Australia; helping them get home to the things they miss,” said Nicky Bowie, General Manager of Hospitals United for Sick Kids.

“Improving children’s welfare is at the heart of what we do every day.”

Through major partner Coles, a $2 donation card campaign is run in support of Hospitals United for Sick Kids for a fortnight in March/ April. All year round, however, fifty cents from each jar of a pasta and pizza sauce product called Mum’s Sauce is also donated, enabling alliance partners to make year-round impacts.

Hospitals United for Sick Kids is also grateful to all its partners, which include Swisse, Lowes, Assembly Label and more.

Together, we can help get sick kids home, and back to the things they miss.

Orthopaedic surgeons at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane have performed their 1000th robotic-arm-assisted joint replacement surgery. This state-of-the-art machine, fully funded by The Common Good in 2019, allows for surgeries that are more accurate than manual procedures, and as such, it promotes faster recovery and less pain.

“For some people with arthritis or an injury, a joint replacement is the best solution to ease chronic pain or to help them get back to moving normally or doing activities they love,” Dr Simon Perkins said.

“This machine’s cutting-edge technology allows for virtual planning before the operation. This personalised surgical experience reduces the chance for soft tissue damage and the size of the exposure site, which in turn helps to optimise the outcome and recovery for the patient.”

Fiona Neal had a double hip replacement performed with the assistance of the machine in 2019. She was up and walking again about 72 hours after her surgery. “To be pain-free now, it’s incredible,” she told Nine News at the time.

The Prince Charles Hospital is the only public hospital in Queensland with the machine. Currently, the hospital’s surgeons use the machine for 100 per cent of partial knee replacements and 60 percent of full knee replacements.

We are always working towards improving patient outcomes by funding equipment and medical research, and our success is only thanks to the generosity of everyday people who share our desire to help others live healthier for longer.