Havens: Stories and Portraits from NHS Lothian

Since autumn 2022, we have been working with award-winning artists, Craig Easton and Lottie Davies, visiting NHS Lothian sites across the region and discovering the interesting and sometimes surprising places that staff use as havens in their busy work lives. The result is a collection of photographs and stories that give insight to the wellbeing and mental health needs of all those working in healthcare.

Imposing, but intimate, large-scale portraits, still lives and personal testimony document the ‘havens’ of NHS Lothian staff; the places where they find time for quiet in their hectic workdays. From the basement laundry at the Royal Infirmary to the rooftop terrace of NHS Lothian headquarters at Waverley Gate, and from a clinical pharmacist at Midlothian Community Hospital to the painter and decorator at the Royal Edinburgh, 28 penetrating photographs uncover these hidden gems and celebrate the commitment of the staff who find solace in them.

During their creative residency with the Charity, the artists interviewed and photographed over 70 NHS staff across the Lothians, from a variety of roles across a wide range of hospital and healthcare sites. The work has become part of our permanent art collection and will be exhibited across hospital and healthcare sites across the region in the coming months and years.

Thank you to award-winning photographers and writers, Craig Easton and Lottie Davies, and the staff who shared their stories with generosity and candour. Thanks also to Stills: Centre for Photography.

Come and see the stories yourself by visiting our ‘Havens: Stories and Portraits from NHS Lothian’ exhibition. Maybe, you’ll find some inspiration for your own haven?