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West Suffolk Hospital receives visit from the Marquess of Bristol
The West Suffolk Hospital was recently visited by the Marquess of Bristol, who helped unveil new waiting room chairs in the hospital’s outpatients’ department. The new seating was generously funded by the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital, a charity that has supported the hospital for over 30 years.
As the patron of the charity, the Marquess expressed his appreciation for the hospital staff's dedication to providing exceptional care for patients and their families. The Marquess was greeted by the chair of The Friends Julie MacLeod and our chief executive, Dr Ewen Cameron.
Dr Cameron said: "The Friends of West Suffolk Hospital charity is an important partner to our hospital providing vital funding for a variety of projects that improve the experience of our patients and their loved ones.
“We are very grateful for their support and thrilled to have the Marquess of Bristol here to celebrate the opening of this new seating section."
The charity has provided significant grants for the hospital over the years, including £220,000 towards breast cancer service facilities, £66,000 to purchase a Fibroscan ultrasound machine and £62,000 to refurbish a full ear, nose and throat room, including a microscope, camera and seating.
Regular grants are also made by the charity to provide the hospital with Christmas trees in the festive period as well as courtesy packs for patients who may have to spend an unexpected night or more in the hospital and have no pre-packed washing kit.
In addition to providing important grants, the charity runs the Friends shop which is located near the entrance of the West Suffolk Hospital. The shop, which is used frequently by staff, patients, and visitors, offers a wide range of drinks, confectionery, toiletries and mobility aids along with everything patients and their loved ones may require to make their hospital stay as comfortable as possible.
The charity’s Friends shop recently branched out to offer their services online, enabling patients, staff and family members to order supplies from their shop from the comfort of their bed, laptop or smartphone. The website, www.wsfriendsshop.co.uk, stocks almost everything available at the physical Friends shop, and has been a lifeline for loved ones to send gifts and treats to patients when they’re unable to be with them.
Lizzie English, manager of the Friends shop, said: "The online shop has been crucial in providing patients and their loved ones with a way to stay connected during hospital stays.
“It allows them to send messages of support and small gifts to show they care, even when they can't be there in person. We're proud to support the hospital in this way, thanks to the hard work of all our volunteers."
The Friends of West Suffolk Hospital are always on the look out for volunteers to lend their time and support to their local hospital. If you’re keen to find out more about how you can help, please visit https://www.friendsofwsh.co.uk/.
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