The cash-strapped trust running hospitals in east London has defended spending £270,000 on artwork claiming it was saving the NHS money in the long-run.
Despite reportedly losing £2million a week through financial problems, Barts Health NHS Trust was shown to have forked out £120,000 on ceiling artwork in a bid to provide what it claimed was a “comfortable and healing environment” for patients.
The excesses of Britain’s biggest health trust were revealed in a freedom of information request by a national Sunday newspaper which looked at NHS Trusts’ spending since 2010.
A spokesman said: “Medical research has shown that artwork and music improves the emotional wellbeing of patients and speeds up the rate of recovery so they can go home from hospital more quickly, saving NHS funds and enabling more patients to be treated.”
The trust, established in April last year, serves millions of east Londoners through its hospitals including The Royal London, Mile End, The London Chest, Newham University and Whipps Cross as well as St Bartholomew’s in the city.
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