Artist designs mural for Worcester hospital A&E unit

Emily Kaye said the mural was the largest she had worked on

Patients at a new accident and emergency department will be greeted by a huge mural.

The new unit is due to open at Worcestershire Royal Hospital next month in a bid to cut waiting times.

Bosses at the hospital said they wanted to make it as welcoming as possible to the patients who use it.

Emily Kaye, the local artist behind the mural, said she hoped it would bring a smile to peoples' faces.

Wendy Joberns-Harris, director of operations for emergency care at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said the piece included local landmarks like the Malvern Hills, Worcester Cathedral and pears, which the county is known for.

The hospital trust said it wanted to make the unit more welcoming for patients

Ms Kaye said the 11.7m by 2.6m (38ft by 8ft) mural was the largest she had ever worked on.

She said she spoke with staff to help come up with the design.

"I just hope that [people] enjoy looking at it, find something they relate to, maybe it is one of the characters I have drawn, maybe it is some of the animals or maybe it is some of the flowers," she said.

"I hope that it brings a smile to their face.

"I just hope that people enjoy it."

Richard Hames, the trust's communications director said: "A huge amount of work has gone into building this new facility and we wanted to add something a little bit extra, make the unit even more welcoming, an even better environment for our staff to work and to provide some visual distractions for patients who are waiting here."