The artist behind the famous ‘McCoos’, Steven Brown, popped into Forth Valley Royal Hospital to officially open two family rooms in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) which have undergone a colourful makeover. His visit followed a decision to display some of his paintings as the centrepieces of a scheme which has transformed a clinical atmosphere into a blaze of colour and comfort, with comfy chairs and cushions.

The £5,000 upgrade was supported with funding from Organ Donation Scotland and local donations to the Unit.

Steven Brown, who chatted to local staff, promised to send them more items from his collection for the rooms including coasters, cushions and clocks. He said: “I was delighted and honoured to be asked to help here. It’s critical that we have an area like this and sitting here with all these colours makes you feel a little easier.”

The decision to flood the rooms with vibrant blues, reds, yellows and greens, was the brainchild of Kimberley Kirkbright, Senior Clinical Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, who stressed the makeover was very much a team operation.

She explained: “The rooms were previous very clinical looking and it wasn’t welcoming for the families who are often brought here for difficult conversations and sometimes for breaking bad news. We wanted people to feel comfortable and create a gentler atmosphere. Coming into one of these rooms now doesn’t signal bad news – that’s the crux of the whole vision.

“Some people also have associations with certain colours but by providing so many here the rooms will hopefully please everybody.”

As well as comfy chairs and cushions the rooms also feature tea and coffee making facilities which were not available previously.