UHBW Medical Illustration Department

03/12/2025

🎥 New Video: Making a Difference – Cancer & Domestic Abuse

As part of this year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence, we invite you to watch our new animation.

It highlights the subtle signs cancer professionals may notice in patients who are experiencing domestic abuse. It reminds us all how crucial understanding and compassion can be, especially in a healthcare setting.

👉 Watch the video now: https://youtu.be/Qb1_VouxGzw?si=SvFP7UE0-fSAHME4

💛 Anyone can experience domestic abuse, and anyone can perpetrate it. If the content affects you, support services are listed at the end of the video.

This animation was created with care and has been funded and supported by Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire (SWAG) Cancer Alliance. Thank you for your trust and collaboration!

"This is the first animation of its kind – exploring the specific challenges that victim-survivors of domestic abuse face when also affected by cancer." says Lucy Angell-John, SWAG Cancer & Domestic Abuse Trainer.

📖 Read more: https://www.swagcanceralliance.nhs.uk/making-a-difference-cancer-and-domestic-abuse/

Making a difference was created to share the experience of domestic abuse survivors who are also affected by cancer. It shares two survivors’ experiences of...

26/11/2025

😍 We are excited to share that Simon attended the HSJ Awards Ceremony in London last week. It was a great opportunity to be at the event and meet so many dedicated healthcare professionals.

Although the Diverse Images for Healthcare project did not win an award this time, we are very glad that our work was recognised. A big thank you to UWE Bristol and NHS England for working with us to create thousands of high quality images showing conditions on black and brown skin, as well as photos of real healthcare staff from under-represented groups in the NHS. This work helps to build a diverse image library that better represents the communities we serve and supports the creation of more inclusive healthcare images 🙌

Special thanks to Medialogix for sponsoring the Reframe project and providing the Digital Asset Management (DAM) system that hosts all of our images 🥰

If you have any photography or videography projects in mind, please feel free to get in touch to see how we could support you.

20/11/2025

We are excited to share that our team was invited to take part in the LEO Live: Eczema Inside Out Meeting, a two-day educational event for healthcare professionals in London organised by LEO Pharma last week 😊

After receiving great feedback on our session at the BAD meeting earlier this year, we were asked to run a lunchtime workshop. Our teammate Lucy attended the planning workshop and helped shape the session on Optimising Photography in Dermatology 📷

It was a great opportunity to meet healthcare professionals, share practical ways to improve clinical photography, and learn from their experiences too.

We look forward to continuing to connect with delegates and showcasing approaches that support high quality clinical imaging - an essential part of modern dermatology practice.

29/10/2025

🎉 The Medical Illustration and Arts and Culture Team at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust invite you to visit our new exhibition of photographs on Level 5 of The Queen’s Building!

The photos are from Medical Illustration's recent projects, with a focus on increasing diversity in creative healthcare imagery.

This exhibition features collaborations with The NHS Race and Health Observatory (RHO), NHS England South West Maternity and Perinatal Team, South West Neonatal Network, and Reframe Diverse Images for Healthcare project – UWE Bristol and NHS England.

We would love to hear your thoughts, stop by and be inspired 🤩!

20/10/2025

📸​ Winning another Bronze Award at the Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards 2025, Cate was recognised for her photograph “Vision Support in SEND”.

Reflecting on the work, Cate says: “Accompanying a videography team, I captured images of optometry tests at a SEND school, aiming to demystify the process for children, parents, and carers. These visuals help prepare families by illustrating what to expect, reducing anxiety and supporting understanding of the children’s experiences during eye care assessments.”

This award underlines the value of photography in making healthcare more accessible, particularly for children and families. What role do you think photography can play in helping families feel more confident about care 🙂?

14/10/2025

🌟​ Another Bronze Award at the Awards 2025 goes to Sidrah for her “Dangers of Hot Drinks” roller banner.

Designed for Child Safety Week 2025, the banner’s purpose is to raise awareness of the growing number of scald injuries in children from hot drinks. It provides practical prevention techniques and directs the public to a supporting campaign video.

This project is a great example of how thoughtful visual communication can educate and help protect our communities. Well done, Sidrah! 👏

13/10/2025

Our team at the Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) Conference 2025 🎉

Earlier this month, Simon, Josh and Karel went to the IMI Conference and Awards Presentation 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle.

It was a great chance to learn, share ideas, and celebrate creativity and teamwork in our profession. Simon also gave two insightful presentations: one about the Reframe Diverse Images for Healthcare project alongside Debbie and Sarah from UWE Bristol , and another about the new IMI guideline.

Our teammates did a fantastic job, receiving awards both for themselves and on behalf of colleagues who couldn’t attend, including recognition at the Wellcome Trust Photographic Award for Christina’s stunning photo 📸✨

A huge congratulations to everyone involved - a great achievement for the team 👏

10/10/2025

📅 On World Mental Health Day, we are reminded of the importance of awareness, understanding, and empathy - themes powerfully captured in Cate’s photograph “The Silent Struggle”, which has just received a Bronze Award at the Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards 2025.

She describes her approach: “Asked to convey mental health to support a campaign, I focused on body language over facial expression, using composition and tone to express emotional depth. The man’s entwined hands resting on his forehead symbolise universal mental strain. His anonymity reflects how mental health struggles are often invisible, internalised, and unspoken.”

This powerful image reminds us how photography can give shape to experiences that are often hidden or difficult to put into words 📸

09/10/2025

🌟​ The Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards 2025 recognised Christina with a Bronze Award for her photograph “Trichilemmal Cyst”.

Christina explains: “The clinician wanted me to capture the raised nodular lesion on the patient’s neck. I used cross lighting with a reflector to capture this. It was also important that I captured the tiny hairs as this type of keratin-filled cyst originates from the hair follicles.”

Images like this play an important role in helping clinicians and patients better understand medical conditions with clarity and accuracy.

Congrats again to Christina! What details do you think make medical photography such an effective tool for learning and care 🙌?

07/10/2025

We are thrilled to announce that our video, “BHOC: Thank You For Talking to Me” has won Gold at the Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards 2025 🏆!

The video brings to life a moving poem by Beth Calverley, UHBW Poet-in-Residence, written in conversation with staff across the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC) at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.

It shows the patient journey from reception to outpatient, haematology, radiation, and back office support, and how every role helps patients, their families, carers, and friends.

It is a powerful reminder that while we can’t cure everything, we can always offer care, kindness, respect and a listening ear 😊

We want to say a huge thank you to all the staff, patients, and visitors of BHOC who helped with this project. It was made possible with support from Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity and in partnership with the Arts and Culture Team of our trust 🙌

Huge congratulations to our talented video team, this award celebrates the power of storytelling in healthcare and the difference that care, creativity, and teamwork can make!

Watch the video now. Celebrate with us and see the impact of compassion in healthcare!

Thank You for Talking to Me is a poem written by UHBW Poet-in-residence, Beth Calverley.The piece was written in conversation with colleagues at Bristol Haem...

06/10/2025

🌟​ We are excited to announce that Alice has been awarded a second Bronze at the Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards 2025 for her photograph “Phototherapy for Neonatal Jaundice.”

“This photograph was also taken as part of a larger photography project funded by NHS England South West Maternity and Perinatal Team and South West Neonatal Network. The photograph shows a neonate undergoing phototherapy using ultraviolet light for the treatment of jaundice. Jaundice is common in neonates and caused by a build-up of bilirubin in the blood. Signs include yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes, mouth, palms and soles feet.” - Alice Kenny

The photograph captures both the clinical process and the quiet resilience of neonatal care, reminding us how early treatment can make a lasting difference for the youngest patients 🙌

03/10/2025

🎥​ We are delighted to share that our video, “Bristol Eye Hospital: Vision Assessments in Special Schools,” has been awarded Silver at the Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards 2025!

The video highlights the incredible work of the Special Needs Vision Team of Bristol Eye Hospital at the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in carrying out vision assessments for children with special educational needs.

Children with special needs are 28 times more likely to have a serious eye condition, so early detection is vital.

The team carries out a range of tests: checking vision, squints, binocular vision, peripheral vision, and more, adapting methods to keep the children engaged and relaxed.

We are grateful to the staff, pupils, and parents at New Siblands School, and to Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital for supporting this project.

Here is a sneak peek from the video - stay tuned for the full version!