The Herdy Company have kindly donated bespoke murals to make the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) in Penrith more welcoming for children and families.
The murals are displayed in the waiting room and in the triage room, and feature local landmarks such as Lowther Castle, the Beacon, and the UTC itself.
The designs include a Herdy nurse, a Herdy doctor, and a Herdy paramedic.
Emma Harrington, UTC Nurse, had the idea to approach Herdy to see if they would be willing to help make the centre more child friendly. They donated the murals to mark Random Act of Kindness Day on 17th February, and installed the murals on Tuesday (22nd April).
She said: "We are one of the few places that have adults and children waiting in the same area, and we wanted to make it more of a welcoming and friendly place for our younger visitors. I approached Herdy to see if they would be willing to work with us to improve the space and they replied really quickly! I'm so pleased they donated these murals, we are thrilled with them, and they will make the space far more welcoming for children who need to use our services."
Lauren Clapperton, Service Manager, said:
"We love the new murals, and it's great that they highlight how closely we work with our colleagues from other agencies, as the murals also include mountain rescue and the ambulance service. It's really important to us that children and families have a nice environment when accessing our services."
Diane Hannah, Co-founder Director, for Herdy said:
“We were absolutely thrilled when Emma Harrington from Penrith Hospital got in touch after spotting the Herdy mural at Westmorland General. She asked if we could bring some of that same Herdy happiness to Penrith UTC — and of course, we said yes! We’re delighted to have donated and installed a bespoke Herdy mural designed especially to brighten up the children’s area. It’s full of cheerful Herdy characters, colourful landscapes, and playful scenes inspired by the Penrith area. We hope it brings a smile to little faces and helps make visits to the unit just that little bit easier.”
Penrith UTC is available for people who need urgent, but non-life threatening, medical attention. UTCs are led by highly qualified Advanced Clinical Practitioners and GPs, staff nurses, and health care assistants.
NCIC have UTCs based at Keswick Hospital and at Penrith Hospital and you don’t need an appointment or a referral to access the services. Walk in services are open between 8.30 and 6pm in Keswick (X-ray 9:30am – 12:30pm Mon-Fri) and between 8am and 10pm at Penrith (X-ray 8:30am – 4:30pm Mon-Fri).
UTCs are equipped to diagnose and treat many of the most common ailments. A&E have to prioritise the most serious cases first so if your condition is less serious – like the ones listed below - a UTC is a more appropriate service for you.
Conditions that can be treated at an urgent treatment centre include:
- abdominal pain
- bites and stings
- coughs and colds
- cuts and grazes
- ear and throat infections
- emergency contraception
- eye problems
- feverish illnesses
- minor injuries
- minor scalds and burns
- skin infections and rashes
- sprains and strains
- suspected broken limbs
Urgent treatment centres are not the most appropriate place for:
- alcohol related problems
- allergic reactions
- breathing difficulties
- chest pain
- conditions likely to require hospital admission
- gynaecological problems
- major injuries
- mental health problems
- overdoses
- pregnancy problems
- problems usually dealt with by a GP, such as chronic conditions
- sexual assault
For more information about urgent treatment centres please visit: https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/services/urgent-treatment-centre
For more information about Herdy please visit: Home - The Herdy Company
