Newsroom
Generous Friends' grants to enhance patient care
The Friends of the West Suffolk Hospital charity has given more than £70,000 in grants to enhance patient care across the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT), from specialist toys to specialist equipment, all aimed at supporting staff to improve the care they provide.
A total of £72,000 has been donated in 18 grants, ranging from £78 for blackout blinds to improve a birthing room environment, to almost £18,000 for high-flow respiratory therapy equipment to enhance patient care.
The funds raised by the Friends come from donations and legacies, and from the popular Friends’ Shop at the West Suffolk Hospital, where a team of volunteers offer everything from nightwear to refreshments. The team also provide courtesy packs for patients who have been rushed in with no supplies, a trolley service touring the wards, and an online shop.
Other grants to enhance patient care include:
- Airway management training model to help trainee staff in a wide range of airways skills
- Equipment to improve the experience for people volunteering in Trust clinical research trials
- Specialist toys for pre-school children with complex learning and neurodevelopmental needs
- Improved environment and more comfortable chairs for families experiencing bereavement
- An awning for the Sudbury community therapy garden.
Among the grants is approximately £8,000 to increase the number of wheelchairs and high-backed chairs to improve the experience of people visiting the hospital.
Lee Ranson, volunteer services lead for the Trust, said: “We are so grateful for the funds that will allow us to provide 10 more wheelchairs, boosting the number we already have in place, and three high-backed chairs to provide more comfortable seating for people waiting for taxis or lifts at the front of the hospital, for example.
“This is a really practical use of funds to support a wide range of patients every day and will help our volunteers to ensure the wheelchairs are where they are most needed.”
Paul Cooper is one of eight volunteers whose tasks include helping with the hospital’s provision of wheelchairs. He said: “Both myself and my late wife were cared for here. I first volunteered as a transport companion, and now as well as helping with wheelchairs I do general support.
“The wheelchair volunteers support patient experience by finding, recovering and cleaning the wheelchairs – they can end up all over the place – ensuring they are there for people who need them.”
Another grant that is making a big difference to patient care is approximately £10,000 to fund a new VAAFT (video-assisted anal fistulae) surgical kit used to carry out anal fistula surgeries. This innovative kit, whichincludes a video camera that allows the surgeon to see inside the anal fistula tract, and an endoscope light to help with locating the internal opening of the tract, provides patients with great outcomes. This method can help to preserve continence in patients who also have diagnoses such as Crohn’s disease.
The team at WSFT already have one VAAFT kit, funded by the Friends in the previous round of funding. The new kit will enable the team to support even more patients with a full service in VAAFT procedures.
Mr Sam Hettiarachchi, consultant colorectal surgeon for the Trust, said: “We are so grateful to the Friends for helping us to expand our service, not only for buying the additional VAAFT kit, but for all the support they have given us as well.”
Sarah Steele, treasurer of the Friends, said: “We are very pleased that in our latest round of funding, we have been able to offer over £70,000 of grant funding which will support 18 projects and improve patient care across the Trust. We are grateful to all those who have made donations and legacies to the Friends, and to the patients and staff who have supported the services offered by the Friends shop.
“We would also like to thank My WiSH charity for working with us again, and funding some of the items requested. This is much appreciated.”
Dr Ewen Cameron, WSFT chief executive, said: “Once again the Friends of the West Suffolk Hospital have made generous donations that will make a difference to patient care across the Trust. The grants are so wide-ranging, from funds for equipment to support training, to specialist toys for our youngest patients; and from chairs to increase patient comfort, to support for a valuable project that runs in a community setting.
“These grants will enable our staff to enhance the care we give to our patients, and the thanks of the whole Trust go to the Friends, their hardworking volunteers, and also to the people in our community who have given donations and left legacies so their work can continue.”
Back to Newsroom