Patients receiving dialysis at Raigmore Hospital will soon have the opportunity to turn treatment time into creative time, as NHS Highland launches a new arts initiative designed to support wellbeing, self-expression and connection.
The year-long pilot project, funded by NHS Highland Charity (SC016792), will introduce an Artist in Residence to the Renal Unit at Raigmore Hospital. The initiative, titled Art on Dialysis, will support patients to explore a range of creative activities tailored to their interests, helping to bring focus, enjoyment and a sense of achievement during treatment sessions.
The Renal Service at Raigmore Hospital provides specialist care for people living with kidney disease, with around 100 people currently attending for haemodialysis. Treatment sessions can last up to five hours, several times each week. For many, dialysis is a long-term and demanding part of life. Spending so many hours in treatment can be physically exhausting and emotionally challenging, with some patients experiencing anxiety, low mood or feelings of isolation.
Art on Dialysis has been developed in direct response to these challenges. Shaped by patient input and informed by similar initiatives across Scotland, the project aims to reimagine treatment time as an opportunity for creativity, connection and meaningful activity.
Grace McInnes, a patient at the unit, welcomed the initiative: "I attend Raigmore Hospital for dialysis twice weekly. Each visit is 4½ hours which is long, boring and tedious. Art sessions would be creative and challenging and distract from dialysis treatment. It will be good to have the opportunity to express ourselves and to work with an experienced artist‑in‑residence."
Ashley Powell, Advanced Nurse Specialist in Renal Supportive and Palliative Care, added: "Our patients spend many hours each week in the renal unit. While clinical care remains our priority, we also recognise the importance of supporting emotional wellbeing. This project will offer a positive distraction, a sense of achievement and, we hope, moments of enjoyment during what can otherwise be a very repetitive and challenging treatment."
The project will culminate in a public exhibition of the artwork, developed collaboratively with patients and staff, celebrating participants’ creativity and sharing their achievements with the wider community.
The initiative is being developed with support from High Life Highland. Kirsten Body, Visual Arts Programme Curator at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery said: "We were keen to be involved because we have seen first‑hand the impact creativity can have on health and wellbeing. Working alongside the renal team allows professional artistic practice to be introduced into a healthcare setting in a thoughtful and sensitive way. We’re looking forward to supporting this new initiative and the people taking part."
Art on Dialysis has been made possible through a generous legacy donation from Christine Mackay, a former patient of the Renal Unit at Raigmore Hospital. Christine’s husband, Nicholas, welcomed the project and said: "Christine spent many years attending the renal unit and understood first-hand the long hours patients spend receiving dialysis. She would have been pleased to know that her legacy is helping create something positive and engaging for others going through the same experience.
"When I heard about the plans for the Art on Dialysis project, it struck me as a really worthwhile idea. The idea for introducing an arts project in Inverness was put forward by Dr Stewart Lambie, who was Christine’s consultant for many years and it’s encouraging to see that idea now developing into something that could make a real difference for other patients".
Entrusted to NHS Highland Charity, Christine’s legacy has enabled the development of a project that brings something extra to patient care, enriching the treatment environment and placing wellbeing alongside clinical excellence.