Poems in the Waiting Room

News Releases

November 2006

NHS Poetic Cut Back

 The popular Poems in the Waiting Room has published a Collected Edition of its free poetry cards. The 'arts in health' charity has distributed free poetry cards since 1998 to NHS waiting rooms. The Arts Council has regularly refused funding, and the Charity has therefore been forced to cut some one thousand NHS waiting rooms from its service! The Collected Edition will now give all NHS units an opportunity to make suitable poetry available for their patients. Reading poetry can be a tonic and give a lift to a visit to the doctor.

 Michael Lee, editor of Poems in the Waiting Room, who personally funds the charity, today pointed out "The Arts Council will not back Poems in the Waiting Room since it is based on classical poems drawn from the heritage of English verse with some contemporary work. Patients have told us they appreciate the old familiar poetry they read at school,  with a taste of some new. Poems in the Waiting Room is by far the most widely read national poetry periodical, and the most extensive 'arts in health' programme in the NHS. Its editorial formula has encouraged a far wider reading of poetry. 

But the Arts Council will not fund to our 'arts in health' programme, as it is based on the heritage of English verse. They insist that we publish only contemporary writers with a heavy bias of works from ethnic minority poets. There is no inkling whatsoever of any demand from patients for just this type of poetry. The Council have no understanding or experience of the needs of NHS patients. Their demands would simply wreck Poems in the Waiting Room. They fail to recognise that patient care lies at the core of effective 'arts in health' programmes."

March 2006

NHS Poetic Cut

Poems in the Waiting Room has announced a severe cutback of its services to the NHS. The registered Charity, which supplies free poetry cards for patients to almost 1400 NHS GP waiting rooms, is cutting the total down to some 400. The cut is caused by Arts Council England's failure to meet joint funding commitment for a three year growth programme, and then their refusal of a further grant. The Arts Council's decision will deprive patients in almost one thousand NHS general practices who show a strong interest and demand for poems. The Council give the conventional reason about priorities. They do not give high priority to NHS general practice.

At heart there lies a conflict over editorial choice of poetry. Friction between the Charity and the Arts Council has built up since their first collaboration. The Council have disparaged the use of classical poems from the heritage of English verse. They routinely badgered the Charity to use mainly contemporary work, despite the clear preference for a mix of old and new from patients and their NHS carers. The Council urged a new, innovative and challenging content for the poetry cards.

The Charity's prime concern is publishing poems suitable for worried-well and worried-sick. The old familiar poem is helpful, and potentially therapeutic in reducing patient stress. The Council's notion of challenging patients with poetry, either in sentiment or in style, is crass. The Charity's editorial choice concerns only the benefit that reading a poem can have in patients' lives.

Michael Lee, Poems in the Waiting Room Founding Editor said "A DHSS study is underway, for report to Sir Nigel Crisp, on the Arts in Health. This study may well recognise that the emotional content and style of art projects should reflect patients' needs and medical staffs' views. Arts in the NHS need act in concert with or as an adjuvant to conventional medical care. Too frequently, patients are seen by the Arts Council simply as a captive audience for Council's prescribed programmes and projects. If the Arts Council is to play any part in arts in health, it must allow room for patient centred ideas."

Letter to the Editor The Independent 3 February 2006

Poetic clash in the waiting room

Sir: In her valuable piece on the impact of poetry and the intrusion of bureaucratic box-ticking on schemes seeking to promote the medium (Arts & Books Review, 27 January), Christina Patterson mentioned Poems in the Waiting Room. I believe however that from her comments about it being set up by a former social worker, she was in fact referring to a different scheme known, unfortunately by a title close to ours, as Poems for the Waiting Room.

Poems in the Waiting Room was established in 1995; the other scheme adopted a title close to ours in 1998. We provide a quarterly supply of poetry cards for patients to read and to keep, and so achieve the close intimacy of poetry that Christina advocates. The scheme is directed to general practice where the benefits are most evident.

MICHAEL LEE EDITOR POEMS IN THE WAITING RICHMOND SURREY

No complaint with this health service!

A visit to the doctors may turn out to be a treat. A survey published today shows that Poems in the Waiting Room is extremely popular with patients. The service provides small pamphlets of poems for waiting patients to read and to keep. It is a registered charity and no charge is made for the service. It is financed by The Beatrice Trust with matching Arts Council Lottery Funds, and serves 1200 waiting rooms, distributing 35,000 poetry pamphlets each quarter.

The survey of over two hundred general practices found that in three quarters, the whole supply was taken up by patients, while no more than eight pamphlets, a third of the total, remained in the others. The service covers surgeries in hard-up problem areas as well as in the leafy suburbs. The supply was fully taken in over eight in ten surgeries serving concrete high rise - a keener performance than the seven in ten for affluent neighbourhoods. Poems in the Waiting Room touches parts other arts cannot reach.

Surgery staff were deeply engaged in the scheme, proposing various types of poetry they feel might suit patients as well as recommending particular poets. A strong preference was felt for humorous works, and the most frequently suggested poet was Spike Milligan. Generally, however a mix of classical poetry with contemporary works was considered most suitable.

The survey also explored whether the poetry pamphlets might enhance the value of a patient's visit to the surgery. Over eight in ten agreed with this suggestion, with only one dissenting. The scheme noticeably improves patient satisfaction. About half the survey respondents made an estimate of the degree to which the scheme may enhance value to patients. Their median estimate fell in the range from two to five per cent.

As a further measure of patients' satisfaction, some two thirds reported that patients had spontaneously commented on the poetry pamphlets. All welcomed them. A Bristol doctor added "your poems are the one thing in the NHS no one complains about!"

Michael Lee Editor Poems in the Waiting Room POBox 488 Richmond TW9 4SW

Arts Council England has awarded a Lottery funded grant to expand Poems in the Waiting Room. The service, which has been running since 1998, supplies free poetry pamphlets in health service waiting rooms for patients to keep. It is highly popular with patients. One wrote What a really lovely idea! Thank you very much for lighting up our doctor s surgery waiting room. The day s weather was awful! The atmosphere in the waiting room none too healthy. But your poems are all wonderful - and meaningful. Well done and thanks.

At first, distribution was confined to South West London but soon spread, with practices recruited mainly by word of mouth. Expansion became demand led, straining the original sponsor The Beatrice Trust’s budget.

The Arts Council grant now opens the chance for all primary care practices to benefit from the service. Poems in the Waiting Room has circulated NHS Primary Care Trusts as a means to inform each General Practice of this opportunity.

The scheme is a registered charity (1099033), and no charge whatsoever is made for the poetry pamphlets. The sole obligation is to put them on display. For samples of the poetry pamphlets and further information contact Michael Lee Editor Poems in the Waiting Room pitwr@blueyonder.co.uk or 34 Beechwood Avenue Richmond TW9 4DE

Poetry Society & Poems in the Waiting Room

A visit to the doctor could bring a pleasant surprise in the form of Poems in the Waiting Room. These are small leaflets of poems service provides free pamphlets of poems to be read while waiting; the leaflets are free and may be taken home. The project originated with the City Literary Institute Poetry Club, and initially served South West London. It was set up in gratitude for the exceptional high quality of care provided by the health services. The poetry leaflets have proved extremely popular with both patients and with the health service staff.

The selected poems have a strong feel good factor to suit the mood of a waiting patient. The verses range from Shakespeare through Emily Dickinson to works by contemporary living poets. It is still to be proved that - a poem and a pill will vanquish every ill -, but the service should be some reward for any patient s patience!

The Poetry Society has recently been instrumental in arranging funding with the project’s sponsor for the scheme to be expanded nationwide.

Michael Lee, who runs the project is looking for help from members of the Poetry Society. First, it is his ambition to increase the number of contemporary poems in each leaflet. Submissions of suitable poems for publication would therefore be welcome. However, as usual, it is advisable to read first the Poems in the Waiting Room submissions guidelines. Next, members may like to propose that their own local surgery or health centre receives a free quarterly supply of the poetry leaflets. Suggestions would be very welcome. It is of course necessary to have a word with the centre or the practice manager before proposing that a supply be sent. An introductory leaflet to the service, as well as sample copies, are available from Poems in the Waiting Room.