FOYH donate over £140,000 to York Hospital projects

The Friends of York Hospitals donate over £140,000 to projects at York Hospital

After receiving a very large legacy, the Friends of York Hospitals have donated over £140,000 to YorkHospital to fund a number of vital projects.

The Friends have donated over £17,000 to fund the role of an experienced community Artist who works on Ward 16 with patients who are recovering from surgery. Offering Art making on the ward is proving to be very beneficial for patients to distract them from the post surgery pain, tension and worry. The project can now be extended to patients who are undergoing chemotherapy in Oncology and Haematology.

£50,000 has been donated to the York Teaching Hospital Charity's Star Appeal. This incredible donation by the Friends has meant the appeal is now one third of the way through, reaching £100,000 of the £300,000 target and has enabled work to start on the installation of ceiling tracks hoists throughout the whole Stroke Rehabilitation unit.

Over £9,000 has been donated to fund an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) role. The ECLO role provides direct support to blind and partially sighted patients. The service is needs-led and provides a vital link between the patient, the hospital and other services. The ECLO role provides information on the condition's impact, aids the patient to complete registration and provides significant emotional support.

York Hospital will soon be fitting a new Changing Places disabled toilet thanks to a donation of £55,000 by the Friends. People with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as other serious impairments often need extra facilities to allow them to use the toilets comfortably. Changing Places toilets are different to standard disabled toilets with extra features and more space to meet these needs. For example, ensuring the right equipment is fitted such as a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench and a tracking hoist system, or mobile hoist if this is not possible. Without a Changing Places toilet, the person with disabilities is put at risk as are their family/carers need to change the person on the floor of a standard toilet. This is dangerous, unhygienic and undignified.

Further projects funded by the Friends include £1,300 for two recliner chairs for ward 37 which cares for older adults with both physical and mental health needs and a chest compression device coasting over £7,000 for the Accident and Emergency department. The device effectively takes over the chest compression part of CPR and frees up staff to do other things during the arrest.

Lucy Watson, Fundraising Manager for the York Teaching Hospital Charity said, "The Friends of York Hospitals provide invaluable support to York Hospital by providing volunteers that help patients and support the staff and by raising money for the hospital. The recent donations have allowed York Hospital to provide additional staff, equipment and services that will vastly improve patient care. We would like to sincerely thank them for the dedication and generosity to York Hospital."

Derek De Vere, Chairman of the Friends of York Hospitals added "We are always delighted to help support York Hospital and its patients through our provision of our excellent volunteers in the hospital and through these very significant donations described above".