Arts in Hospitals: Why Creative Health Matters for Patients, Staff and the NHS
Arts programmes have a huge impact on people who visit, work and are treated in hospitals. Over 100 hospital trusts in the country have arts programmes and arts managers. There is a wealth of evidence and long history demonstrating that the arts improve healthcare professionals’ and patients’ wellbeing (All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing, 2017; 2023). In addition to providing powerful mental health support, hospital arts are also used to contribute to medical education and training (Guy et al. 2025).
Recent proof of the value of arts in hospitals includes statistics from Imperial College London, where 97% of the NHS workforce believe the art collection enhances the patient experience and makes their hospitals a better place to work. A study at the Barts Health NHS Trust published in January 2026, demonstrates that group art sessions cut the risk of staff burnout by half, and 98% of staff participants in these sessions reported it helped them, with significantly lower emotional exhaustion.
Despite these indubitable strengths and the apparent need for this resource, hospital arts are facing great challenges, largely around funding problems in the NHS. Arts manager roles and art provisions are increasingly tenuous and facing cuts. Difficult questions, such as whether sparse funds should be spent on a new x-ray machine, new cancer treatment, or an art programme, might seem hard to answer. But there is proof that integrating the arts reduces burden on other strands; the arts make a profound difference to save lives and help healthcare professionals save lives (Fancourt, 2025). This proven concept needs to be enabled and delivered.
The National Arts in Hospitals Network (NAHN) is a growing infrastructure organisation for arts managers and coordinators working in UK hospitals. Established in 2019, NAHN is hosted by NHS Charities Together, which supports the use of charitable funds to improve patient experience and staff wellbeing in UK hospitals.
NAHN works closely with the NCCH to raise awareness of the positive impact of hospital arts and advocates for the inclusion of the arts in healthcare settings as part of the creative health agenda at policy level. NAHN exists to champion, embed and support high quality arts programmes in every hospital in the country, using an evidence-based quality framework. The point is to improve the environment and experience of being in hospital for every patient, visitor, and staff member.
NAHN members have developed the National Arts in Hospitals Guidance, a comprehensive, free, online toolkit with case studies, practical tools and templates for embedding arts in hospitals (written by creative consultant Jane Willis). The guidance addresses NAHN’s mission for every hospital in the UK to engage staff and patients through arts to promote health and wellbeing. This resource is grouped into two sections: programme guidance, with practical information on delivering high-quality hospital arts activities, and management guidance, offering support for strategic planning and sustainable delivery.
NAHN exists to provide support for arts managers and arts programmes, whilst advocating, guiding and leading the way for the sector. NAHN works hard with its members to address the increasing demands for hospitals arts for staff wellbeing and within neighbourhood health, aligning with the NHS long term plan. We do this through our members meetings and webinars. We work with the NCCH and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Creative Health, to raise awareness of the implications of cutting arts programmes and provide support and guidance to trusts who are looking to establish or develop their work in this area.
Membership of NAHN costs £320, per organisation per annum. This fee includes access to three in person conferences and our webinar programme, as well as online access to Member Connect and regional NAHN groups. Arts managers can join the NAHN here or for more information, email here.
References:
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (2017) Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing. National Centre for Creative Health.
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing and National Centre for Creative Health (2023) Creative Health Review: How Policy Can Embrace Creative Health, NCCH.
Fancourt D (2025) The Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives. Celadon Books. - Noble G et al (2025) Use of the hospital arts to improve patient and staff health and wellbeing. Nursing Times [online]; 121: 10.
This is a guest blog written by Lorna Collins, Coordinator at the National Arts in Hospitals Network. Email her here.
