patient Kevin Groves (left) helps to do up his own hospital with help from chargehand Nigel Carley.

Patients are working alongside professional estates staff on a£31,000 project to improve facilities at St Clement's Hospital in Ipswich

as part of their occupational therapy. Senior occupational therapist Conrad Barnard said project challenged views that patients could not be productive workers, which led to a lack of self-esteem.

The hospital, run by East Suffolk Local Health Services trust, provides services for patients with a variety of mental health problems.