A LASTING legacy from a generous supporter is helping to create a more welcoming and reassuring environment for patients attending appointments at Torbay Hospital.

A gift left to Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity by Mr Kenneth Zaple has funded the refurbishment of the hospital’s pacemaker room in the Heart and Lung Department, alongside the installation of a specially commissioned artwork designed to provide a sense of calm for patients.

The new artwork, titled Through the Meadow, was created by local printmaker Niamh Geraghty Morris and installed as part of the Charity’s ongoing work to introduce carefully selected artwork into healthcare spaces across South Devon.

The project has been delivered in partnership with the Trust’s artist in residence, Helen Snell, Make Southwest and local artists, with the aim of improving hospital environments through creativity and thoughtful design.

Staff from the Heart and Lung Department played an important role in choosing the final artwork, ensuring the piece reflected the atmosphere they wanted to create for patients and their families.

The installation now provides a welcoming focal point in the pacemaker room, where patients attend for important checks and procedures.

For many people, these appointments can bring feelings of anxiety or uncertainty, making the environment in which care is delivered particularly important.

Luisa Cleverdon, CRM Lead Physiologist in the Heart and Lung Department at Torbay Hospital, said the changes had made a significant difference to both patients and staff.

‘Many people attending the pacemaker clinic feel understandably anxious about their appointments’, she said. ‘The difference this refurbishment and artwork have made has been remarkable. ‘The room feels calmer, more welcoming and much less clinical. We have had really positive feedback from both patients and colleagues’.

Becky Chown, Fundraising Manager for Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity, said the project demonstrated the powerful impact of gifts left in wills.

‘We are incredibly grateful to Mr Zaple for his generosity’, she said. ‘Gifts left in wills help us fund projects that can make a real difference to patients, families and colleagues, often in ways that NHS funding alone cannot.

‘This is a wonderful example of how a legacy gift can have a lasting impact. The new artwork has transformed the feel of the room and will help create a calmer and more welcoming environment for patients for many years to come’.

The refurbishment comes as Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity celebrates its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of supporting patients, families, communities and NHS colleagues through projects, equipment and improvements that go beyond what NHS funding alone can provide.

Artist Niamh Geraghty Morris said she was delighted to contribute to the hospital environment.

‘I felt it was a real privilege to be involved and to donate a piece of artwork to one of the spaces in the hospital and to know that people are benefiting from it’, she said.