A photo competition which aims to brighten the days of elderly patients at Bradford Royal Infirmary has been launched.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of just 12 bodies throughout the UK to have secured a £50,000 grant for The King’s Fund Enhancing the Healing Environment Programme, which is funded by the Department of Health.

The trust is contributing a further £15,000 towards the scheme which will transform wards 23 (orthopaedic trauma) and 29 (elderly care) over the summer.

The theme of the photo competition is ‘Yorkshire Outdoors’ and the aim is to develop a picture library of at least 100 photographs which will be displayed on the wards throughout the year.

BRI patient services manager for elderly care, Debbie Beaumont, said: “We’re appealing to all amateur and professional photographers to enter their pictures, old or new, in our competition. We’re also on the lookout for pictures which represent the changing seasons in a bid to try to visually help orientate patients as to the time of the year and to help them realise where they are – this will hopefully benefit many of our patients who suffer from dementia.

“Basically, we are looking to bring the outside inside, so that people don’t necessarily feel closed in during their time in hospital as many elderly patients can be at BRI for some time.

“We need to build up a library of at least 100 photos so that they can be changed on the walls during the year. So even if people don’t win a prize, they may well be able to see their picture on the walls of the wards.”

First prize will be a 32-inch flat- screen television, second prize a half-day Land Rover 4x4 experience, while third prize will receive £50 Marks and Spencer vouchers.

Deadline for entries is June 3 and applications can be obtained by contacting Patient Services Manager for the Elderly Debbie Beaumont, by e-mailing her on Debbie.beaumont@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk. Winners will be notified on Friday, July 1, and presentation of prizes will take place on Friday, September 30, at the EHE opening in the Sovereign Lecture Theatre.