(L-R): PC Matt Gouldsmith, Louise Rawlings, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, PC Forbes Scott
Emergency services give NHS patients an early Christmas present
Patients and staff at a specialist palliative care unit in Norwich have received an early Christmas present, as Norfolk’s emergency services have made a generous donation to its charitable fund.
Norfolk Constabulary handed over a cheque for £834.32 to Priscilla Bacon Lodge (PBL), after collecting donations from the congregation at the Emergency Services Carol Service, held on December 9 at Norwich Cathedral. The joint event involved staff and their families from Norfolk Police, as well as the region’s ambulance and fire services.
Priscilla Bacon Lodge, at Colman Hospital, on Unthank Road, is run by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) and provides specialist NHS advice and healthcare for patients with palliative care needs and life-limiting illnesses, as well as support to their family and friends.
The donation to the service’s charitable fund will be put towards enhancing services and facilities at the unit, such as buying additional clinical equipment, amenities to make patients and their families more comfortable, and extra staff training.
Louise Rawlings, NCH&C’s Service Lead for planned care (Norwich), works at Pricilla Bacon Lodge and said: “We are very grateful to receive this very generous donation and would like to thank Norfolk Police and the other emergency services for choosing Priscilla Bacon Lodge as their beneficiary.
“This donation will help to make a big difference to our patients and NHS staff, as we can put it towards initiatives to further enhance the experiences of our patients and their families.”
A further cheque for £100 has been donated to the Priscilla Bacon Lodge Support Group. This separate charitable organisation exists to support the patients and staff at Priscilla Bacon Lodge.
The money was won by two police officers named as the ’Police Person(s) of the Year’ at the Stars of Norfolk awards, held at St Andrews Hall, in October, and run by the Eastern Daily Press newspaper.
PC Forbes Scott and PC Matt Gouldsmith won the award after saving a life of a seriously injured 51-year-old man, in Norwich, on New Year’s Eve 2012 and donated it to the Support Group.
NHS staff to deliver presents to patients who are home alone
Community nurses and therapists based in Thetford will be delivering Christmas presents to their most vulnerable patients – many of which they bought with their own money.
The team from Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) provides a range of nursing and therapy services in people’s own homes and they will be working over the festive period to visit housebound patients.
But during their recent visits they realised a number of their elderly patients would be spending the holidays alone.
In a heart-warming gesture, the team wanted to make sure that their patients know that someone will be thinking of them over the festive period, and so decided to raise a collection. They also approached local shops in order to be able to offer some gifts of kindness to 12 local patients.
They will be making their special deliveries on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and have made sure they can also spend some time to stop and chat to give their patients the most valuable gift of all – that of good company.
Team Lead Sarah Goddard said: “Our team build up a good relationship with their patients when visiting to provide their care and rehabilitation.
“No one likes to be on their own at this time of year, so we decided to buy small gifts to take with us to show them that we are thinking of them.
“We thought it was the least we could do to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to them and help brighten their day.”
Swaffham celebrates in style this Christmas!
Patients at Swaffham Community Hospital have been celebrating in style this Christmas after dedicated community NHS staff arranged a packed programme of entertainment to mark the festive season.
Patients, visitors and staff at the hospital, which is run by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C), have already been treated to carol concerts, sing-alongs and tea dances, with more still to come in the run up to the big day. And with the hospital also marking its 125th anniversary during 2013, this year’s festivities have been designed to be even bigger and better than ever.
During the month of celebrations, local dancer Xavier Navarre has hosted a ‘Strictly Come Swaffham’ tea dance, which gave patients, staff and visitors the chance to practice their ballroom and Latin American moves. Those who attended were also treated to a tango performed by Xavier and his 92-year-old mother, who is receives care in her own home from NCH&C’s community physiotherapists.
Music has also filled the hospital as part of the festivities, with The Covent of the Sacred Heart and Swaffham Church Choir visiting to sing carols and Community Physiotherapist Margaret Wood playing for patients with her steel band.
NCH&C’s Learning Development Consultant Andy Sumpner, who spends his free time performing across Norfolk and beyond under the stage name of Andy York, also came to the hospital on Wednesday (18 December) to perform a variety of popular songs.
“My work with NCH&C is wonderful, and my absolute dream job,” said Andy, who discovered he could sing during a karaoke session on holiday ten years ago. “I’ve always loved singing too, so think of myself as getting the best of both worlds.
“I like songs you can dance to, and really enjoy performing and the fun of getting up on stage. I do a lot of charity gigs now, and was delighted to be able to perform for the patients, visitors at staff at Swaffham and help make sure the Christmas celebrations continue on the right note!”
Andy, who started out as a Neil Diamond tribute act but has since widened his repertoire to include Country music favourites, rock and reggae, performed a range of easy listening numbers to patients on the 18-bed general rehabilitation ward, as well as Christmas tunes.
Ward Manager Diana Smith said: “Our festivities have been extra special this year, as they have helped us count down to Christmas while also celebrating the hospital’s 125th anniversary.
“We hope that our patients have enjoyed the wide array of activities which have taken place, all of which help make their stay in hospital that little bit easier while also boosting their morale and confidence.
“We would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to arrange this programme. We’ve been absolutely delighted with the help we’ve received and are really grateful for such fantastic ongoing support.”
And the patients at Swaffham still have more special events to look forward to, including a performance by dedicated volunteer and vocalist Teri Fitzgerald, who will sing show tunes and old favourites two days before Christmas.
The celebrations will culminate in a visit from the Mayor of Swaffham on Christmas morning, who will deliver presents kindly donated by the hospital’s League of Friends.
David Gulliver, Chairman of the League of Friends, said: “Over the years, the League have always provided Christmas presents to the patients, which are always well received. The Mayor accompanied by the deputy are met by a member of the League and along with the Matron or Ward manager, distribute the Christmas bags singing carols as they visit each and every one.
“The hospital, patients and staff appreciate their effort in coming along to visit, which gives them the opportunity for them to talk with the patients during what is a day of celebration.”
Calling on the public to help us care for the most vulnerable this winter
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust’s City Reach staff are busy out on the streets of Norwich this Christmas ensuring people who are homeless have access to the health and care they need and they are asking for the public’s support.
This year, to help them reach as many rough sleepers as possible, City Reach is encouraging the public to alert them if they have seen people who are sleeping rough in the city. This can be done by logging on to and noting where and when on the Street Link website (www.streetlink.org.uk) or via the downloadable mobile phone app.
Reports of people sleeping rough in and around the Norwich area will be fed to the City Reach team via the local authority, so City Reach’s staff can get out to them as soon as possible. The team will then offer them healthcare and health assessments, and join up with other health and care teams, directing those most in need to emergency housing or further support. Reports of rough sleepers elsewhere in Norfolk and across the country will be sent to the relevant local authority.
City Reach is based at Under 1 Roof, on Westwick Street, in Norwich. From there, its team of nurses, GPs and support workers, provide outreach care on the city’s streets, as well as within refuges and hostels. They also provide a number of clinics and offer access to primary care services.
Throughout the year, the team provides care to other vulnerable people and those who may otherwise choose not to, or find it difficult to, engage with local health and care services. These include asylum seekers, gypsies and travellers, and sex workers.
Seeing around 40-50 new patients each month, the service provides around 250 GP and 250 nursing appointments in that time, offering a needle exchange service, advice on mental health or substance misuse, immunisations, sexual health or blood borne virus screening, and treatments for minor illness or injuries. They work in partnership with the Matrix Project, jointly providing support and healthcare to people working in the sex industry.
Kevin Hanner, City Reach Lead, said: “During the winter and the festive season the care our team provides can be even more vital for vulnerable people. Homeless people are particularly at risk during the bitter winter period.
“The team always tries to be as flexible as possible to make sure we can meet the needs of our clients. We work closely with our partners, including other NHS services, local councils, and private and voluntary teams, to help provide a really holistic service.”
Hosted at the Under 1 Roof building by the St Martins Housing Trust the three services – City Reach, the Matrix, and the housing trust – work together to provide a one-stop service for people who require medical care, housing support, advice about finding work, education courses, and training.
The team also works with other partners to ensure people have access to the care they need and to address any health inequalities.
St Martins is holding street collections during December to support their work. You can also donate online at: www.stmartinshousing.org.uk
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