I chose to depict an early patient encounter which took place during a home visit. While talking with Rhoda it became evident that she was frustrated by the way in which her condition had reduced her independence. She explained how her severe leg ulcers had impacted upon her ability to perform everyday tasks, such as cooking and dressing. To overcome these challenges, she had numerous visiting carers who aided her on a daily basis. During our conversation Rhoda became more emotional as she explained how socially isolated she had become. Missing social events due to difficulties with transport and accessibility had become her norm, meaning that she had started to lose contact with many friends. She emphasised how she felt low morale within the NHS had worsened her spirits during this period.

To help us empathise and gain a deeper understanding of her situation, I used the analogy of her armchair. Not only did she feel physically constrained within its arms for many hours of the day, but this piece of furniture had also begun to represent her years of ill-health. Looking in from the outside, it felt as if every negative connotation of illness was confined within the arms of this chair.

When discussing the ways in which Rhoda had tried to improve her coping strategies, we came across the subject of a regular coffee group which she had started to attend. Meeting new people and learning skills in a group setting had empowered this patient and greatly improved her mental health. Through expanding her social network, she was able to meet up in more accessible places and learn from the experiences of others.

When trying to represent this in my drawing, I decided to select the simple medium of biro to represent how prevalent the problem of loneliness is in our society. For me the chain not only represents the feeling of being trapped within this negative cycle, but also helps to bridge the gap between this individual patient and health service who has a responsibility for her care. Rhoda explained that during the toughest times she felt as if her whole life revolved around the NHS and the appointments she was provided with. Subsequently bad press surrounding cuts and malpractice felt as if they were directly impacting upon her personal care. By highlighting specific words in the article, I have attempted to outline a lay perspective of the NHS and invite the viewer to consider the extent to which their perception of the health care service is shaped by the media.