For many patients staying in hospital can be a traumatic experience - for a few it’s not far off a personal horror movie. Medicinema is a charity that aims to change that bringing therapy via the big screen and changing that horror movie hospital experience into a comedy, romance or in fact any genre of the patients choosing. Shrabani Talukder tells us more. 

The idea behind MediCinema is extremely simple - install cinemas in hospitals for the sole purpose and enjoyment of the patients.It offers everyone from children visiting ill parents to elderly patients recovering from hip replacements the opportunity for a ‘night out’ at the movies where they are able to watch the latest blockbusters.

Each Medicinema shows a wide variety of film genres from big action flicks to comedy - perfect for those who believe laughter is truly the best medicine.

The team behind MediCinema recognise the escapist qualities of films and catching a movie in each state of the art cinema can offer patients a welcome relief from what can often be a tedious time in hospital.

Medicinema also allows families of the patients to visit  the cinema which can give family and friends something to really look forward to.

The idea

 The idea for Medicinema was first devised by Christine Hill MBE at St. Thomas’ Hospital, in London - an idea which came to her while watching patients on a welcome break from the wards.

“One hot day I was watching patients being wheeled to the river to watch the boats on the Thames when I noticed how like a cinema screen it was. I thought this was great when it was hot but when it rained there was nothing for the patients to do,” she explained.

 “I thought of an on-site cinema but with the idea of not having the screen in the wards but away from the medical environment with nurses instead of ushers so that the patients would feel secure in the knowledge that they would still have medical help on hand.”

Supporters

As you might expect each Medicinema isn’t funded by the NHS. MediCinema gets invaluable support from all the film distributors and The Walt Disney Company as well as being the nominated charity of the cinema chain Vue. 

MediCinema has also been named as the film industry’s charity by BAFTA. Numerous patrons such as Dame Helen Mirren, Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet also add the glamour of the silver screen.

Charity Support Officer for Medicinema at St. Thomas’s Lisa Molson is excited about the future:

“We have just finished building a Medicinema at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children Yorkhill, Glasgow and are also fundraising for a MediCinema at the new Children's Centre in Newport South Wales. We have successfully completed a feasibility study for Stoke Mandeville Hospital for Spinal Injuries and are now commissioning one for the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle as well as being in discussion with several other hospitals in the UK.” 

It looks likely that Medicinema will become a blockbuster itself.

www.medicinema.org.uk