Giving back to you - our year in review

As we close the doors on 2022, we would like to reflect on another challenging, yet rewarding year as we continue to support the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. As you may know, our aim as your local NHS charity, is to enhance the care of you, if you are a patient, to support your loved ones and also to support the staff who care for us.

We’ve selected a highlight from each month this year, which showcases the support your kind donations can offer those in need.

We begin our brief year in review with January, when we handed over timers to the Parkinson’s nurse. These timers ensure that patients get their medications exactly when needed as time is vital to ensure their symptoms don’t suddenly flare up. Each ward, including Newmarket Community Hospital and Glastonbury Court, were given a Parkinson’s box with the timers and information.

Specialist Parkinson’s nurse Sarah-Jayne Moore with Sue Smith, the head of fundraising at My Wish. — Specialist Parkinson’s nurse Sarah-Jayne Moore with Sue Smith, our head of fundraising.

February saw us give a T-roll to the stroke ward. These specialist positioning rolls enable patients with neurological conditions to be positioned to prevent loss of range of movement and to help them avoid pain.

Physiotherapist Chloe Freezer with a T-roll.

March saw World Kidney Day and the renal staff receiving an ECG machine, thanks to local company Treatt plc.

Practice development nurse Ana Luisa with the ECG machine.

April was about parents, in particular those that suddenly found themselves spending the night on the Rainbow ward. Comfort packs were introduced, containing things such as a toothbrush and paste, water, notepad and pen, tissues and wipes, and a bit of chocolate just to make that first night in hospital a little easier.

May meant DVD players. These large screen DVD players have proved a hit across the hospital, and we have now provided several wards such as the stroke unit, the learning disability nurse and the dementia team with one as well as having some in the charity office for all to borrow if their patients need it. Plus, an array of DVDs from Dad’s Army to David Attenborough for them to enjoy.

Colleagues around the West Suffolk Hospital proudly holding their DVD players.

June allowed us to support the community with a donation meaning we could provide the paediatric speech and language team, based at St Helen’s House in Ipswich, with toys galore to aid their therapy sessions.

An array of toys purchased staff and patients to use at St. Helen’s House.

July saw us donating to both the paediatric day unit and the Rainbow ward. The day unit got a portable measuring stick to take to the patient’s bedside and the Rainbow got some wonderful fun chalk boards for their outside play area.

Staff from the Day Surgery Unit with their portable measuring stick (L), and fun chalk boards for the Rainbow play area (R).

August was about horses as we welcomed Godolphin and their champion retired racehorse, Papineau to Newmarket Community Hospital. You can see the video on our You Tube channel; it was an emotional day which is worth a watch. We hope to repeat this again next year.

A patient at Newmarket Community Hospital with Papineau.

September not only saw us bring back our annual Soapbox Challenge, but we also provided nebulisers for the community respiratory team. These nebulisers mean patients can be treated in their own homes, avoiding hospital admission, and so also freeing a much-needed beds.

Our fundraising manager Sally with the community respiratory team.

October meant we supported our maternity unit with memory boxes for parents who sadly lose a baby. These boxes ensure all memories are captured and we hope they help at such a difficult time.

The contents of one of our memory boxes.

November was about caring for family members as we handed books over to the cancer unit. These books are aimed at children who have a relative that is undergoing cancer treatment. With such a hard subject to explain, especially to younger children, these books help open up the dialogue for a bigger conversation and to explain it in appropriate terms.

Jules Parker, the Macmillan Information Centre manager with a variety of children’s books about cancer care.

In December, we’ve focused on our final aim for the year – to provide each patient with a gift on Christmas Day. Once again, we have launched our Virtual Christmas Gift appeal which allows the wards to hand out a gift to every patient. It’s hard enough being in hospital over the festive period but we hope that these gifts will show patients that the community care and are thinking of them. There’s still time to donate a gift at www.visufund.co.uk/wishchristmas.

Thank you for reading our small round up of this year. It’s a privilege to support a huge range of care across all ages, and none of it would be possible without the help of our generous donors and fundraisers – so a massive thank you for your support, time and effort in 2022.

If you want to find out more or you would like to fundraise for us in 2023, then please browse our website or get in touch. We would love to hear from you.