Our work at Paintings in Hospitals is founded on Cultural Democracy: a democratic approach to arts and culture that actively engages everyone in determining what is classed as culture, where it happens, who makes it, and who accesses it.

The primary function of our work is to make art accessible. We cannot do this without also addressing the biases present in existing systems and working to dismantle the intrinsic inequities and injustices in our society.

Diversity enhances and deepens the impact of the arts. Paintings in Hospitals is committed to ensuring diversity across our staff, board, programmes, and audiences, reflecting our communities throughout the country. We aim to be an open and progressive organisation with equity at the forefront of our work.

We aim to transform the UK's wellbeing by using world-class art to inspire better health for patients, carers, and communities. Recognised by the Department of Health, NHS England and Arts Council England as a leading organisation in the field, we hold the UK’s only national art collection specifically collected to improve health and wellbeing. Using our collection, we provide artwork loans and activities for the benefit of the public who visit, work, or live in all types of healthcare, community and social care spaces.

We have over 3,500 artworks in our collection, including drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, textiles and digital works. World-class artists are represented, including Yinka Shonibare, Helen Chadwick, Anish Kapoor, Elizabeth Blackadder, Josef Albers, Anni Albers, Gillian Ayres, Ben Rivers, Catherine Yass, Ben Nicholson, Alexander Calder, Dame Elisabeth Frink and many more. Our artist patrons are Ian Davenport, Sir Antony Gormley, Maggi Hambling, Bridget Riley and Edmund de Waal, all of whom have artworks in the collection.

Co-creation is the cornerstone of our work. In healthcare environments, we empower patients, service users, and carers to get the most from our artworks by offering bespoke creative workshops and activities that provide the knowledge and confidence to get the most from visual art. These activities involve patients and carers choosing the artworks they want for display, giving them a say in their own care environment and care experience.

In community spaces, we aim to improve social connections and wellbeing for people affected by isolation and health inequality. Participants are involved in every aspect, from choosing artworks, to meaningfully engaging with skilled art practitioners to ensure the best experience. For example, our Art Meets Book project, funded by the Arts Council England, uses community workshops to inspire and empower participants from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to select artworks for display in public libraries, which they explore through a range of storytelling, poetry, drawing and painting sessions. Workshops open up discussions about art, life experiences and how creativity enhances health and wellbeing. Their personal responses are displayed alongside the chosen artworks as part of the exhibition.

In 2024 the charity will celebrate its 65th anniversary.