Talented Sutton hospital photographer shortlisted for national award

Richard Tatham, aged 57, will have his work displayed alongside the other 74 shortlisted photographs at a public exhibition at Fujifilm House of Photography in Covent Garden, London.

The exhibition opens on Wednesday, July 5 – 75 years to the day from the date that the NHS was established.

The competition saw hundreds of photos entered by NHS staff and volunteers across five categories and Richard has been invited to attend an event to launch the exhibition on Tuesday, July 4, where the winners will be announced.

The five winners will have their photographs displayed at the NHS 75th anniversary service at Westminster Abbey on July 5.

Richard entered a picture of Rodney Warden, one of the trust’s chaplains, who is based at the Faith Centre at Sutton’s King’s Mill Hospital, one of the trust’s three sites, alongside Mansfield Community and Newark hospitals.

He entered it into the ‘Our Partners’ category of the competition, which celebrates the crucial role partnerships play in helping the NHS to deliver the best possible care for patients.

Lesser known role

Richard believes the Faith Centre to be a very important part of the trust and one that is perhaps lesser known to the majority of the general public.

Starting his career as a trainee apprentice press photographer and then working as a dark room technician at the Royal Free Hospital in London, Richard went on to travel the world taking photographs. He has even photographed a few celebrities in his time, notably King Charles III before he was King, Peter Andre, David Baddiel and Mansfield swimming star Rebecca Adlington.

He then ran his own professional photography business until 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, at which point he rejoined the NHS as a clinical photographer at SFH – he still runs his Mansfield Woodhouse-based business, Mission Studio, on Grove Street, one day a week.

Clinical Photography is an important part of the NHS and includes, among other things, the daily recording of clinical conditions presented by patients and is used for diagnosis or for recording a condition during the stages of treatment. Photographers record operations, eye conditions and skin conditions, to name a few.

Richard enjoys taking photographs for the NHS, commenting every day is different, he gets to meet lots of different people and has the chance to hear interesting stories from both patients and colleagues.

Entering the competition with a last-minute submission, Richard, from Long Eaton, was pleasantly surprised to learn he had been shortlisted.

He said: “I’m excited to go to the event on Tuesday and pleased to represent the trust in this category.

“Our chaplain colleagues are an integral part of the trust, so it’s great to see a light shone on Rodney, who does a fantastic job. I chose Rodney because his face has got a story to tell – you can see the wisdom in his eyes and the life he’s lived, which is why I decided to capture him in close-up form.”

Sense of understanding

Rodney has worked in the NHS as a chaplain for 25 years and, after suffering personal tragedy when he lost his son at the age of 12, he uses his work to bring comfort and a sense of understanding to others going through similar types of loss.

Rodney said: “I was surprised to learn the photograph had been shortlisted, but also very humbled. King’s Mill knocks spots off everywhere else I’ve ever worked, and I owe them so much. I’m so pleased this is another jewel in the crown for a hospital that has achieved so much in the last five years.”

The pair’s colleagues and friends at the trust will be eagerly anticipating the result on Tuesday and wish them both the best of luck.