Laura Ford sculpture installed at Southmead Hospital Bristol

The completion of the latest stage of works at North Bristol NHS Trust's Southmead Hospital site has meant the arrival of another piece in Laura Ford's 'Patient Patients' sculpture series.

This is part of the Public Art Programme for Southmead Hospital Bristol which you can read more about here.

The 'Lion With An Injured Paw' joins the popular 'Three Monkeys' outside the Emergency Department, with more animals to be added next year.

‘Patient Patients’ are life-size bronze animals which welcome and draw people through the hospital site along key routes towards the main entrance.

They are useful landmarks for wayfinding, helping to make the hospital easier to navigate for patients and visitors. They also contribute to the unique sense of identity for the new building and grounds. 

Our thanks to Laura Ford and the team at NBT, as well as J A Mackenzie Limited and Castle Fine Arts Foundry Ltd who ensured the safe arrival and installation of the Lion.

Haulage company installing sculpture at Southmead Hospital Bristol

Lion sculpture being unveiled

Laura Ford lion sculpture at Southmead Hospital Bristol

The arts programme is a small part of North Bristol NHS Trust’s £430 million Southmead Hospital Bristol Private Finance Initiative (PFI) development.

It builds on research which clearly demonstrates the direct benefits for patients of incorporating visual and performing arts into the hospital environment. 

Underpinning the project is a close collaboration between North Bristol NHS Trust and its arts programme Fresh Arts, architects Building Design Partnership (BDP), the commissioned artists, Carillion and Willis Newson.

This close collaboration enabled Willis Newson creatively to integrate the public art with the architecture of the building.


Patient Patients poem

As part of the process of designing, sculpting & creating the artworks Laura worked with poet Annie Griffin to create a short poem for each sculpture. Here is her poem for the Lion:

I won't chase you.

Promise.

Normally I'm quite fast at running.

I can outrun a wildebeest.

I'm not meant to do any running for now.

But I can roar.

It's the loudest and the scariest sound you can imagine.

I love roaring.

I'm good at everything.