Charity's £323,000 investment sees brand new hearing services brought to Jarrow
Major investment has brought new hearing services to a South Tyneside hospital.
South Tyneside patients are set to benefit from improved hearing services following major investment at Jarrow’s Palmer Community Hospital.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) has transformed the existing audiology department to create modern clinical spaces and expand the range of available services.
It means that patients who previously had to travel to Sunderland for specialist appointments can now access high-quality care closer to home.
The purpose-built department has been delivered through NHS England investment, alongside £323,000-worth of funding from the STS Charity, the dedicated charity of STSFT.
The new facilities have allowed the introduction of several services in South Tyneside for the first time, including:
‘A total transformation’
Lynzee McShea, Head of Audiology at STSFT, has spoken about how much it means to staff to be able to offer high-quality care thanks to the newly refurbished department.
She said: “It is a total transformation - our old space had three or four small and quite dated clinical rooms so the new department is an absolute breath of fresh air.
“We’ve doubled our room capacity so we can see more people, the surroundings are much nicer and we’ve got some new equipment, which is fantastic.
“Patients think that we’ve won the lottery and everyone has commented on how bright and airy it is, as well as our own reception area.
“It has meant the world to staff as well, we are one Trust in South Tyneside and Sunderland so it means a lot for us to be able to offer the excellent facilities and equipment to patients here, as we do in Sunderland.”
‘We were over the moon to get involved’
Nichola Taylor, Head of STS Charity, has expressed how much it means for the charity to be able to donate vital investment to the audiology department in Jarrow.
She added: “The charity exists to support and allow NHS services to go further so in this case, we were over the moon to get involved.
“It is amazing to give this amount of money because that is what people donate to the STS Charity for - they want to make a difference.
“So anyway we can help our staff and improve patient care, we will always do that.
“The department looks amazing and it’s great to hear that we can now screen newborn babies, make things more accessible for children and improving hearing care.
“To invest in equipment that places the team as a leader within the country is great and I hope that patients find the experience of coming here for care much improved.
Patient seal of approval
Sylvia Richardson, a patient at STSFT, has expressed her delight at the new and improved audiology department.
The Cleadon Park resident commented: “It is lovely and it is the first time that I’ve been in the new department.
“I come here once a year to see the consultant and you always had to sit in the corridor while you were waiting so having a reception area was lovely.
“It is important to have this in South Tyneside because any other treatment that I’ve needed, I’ve had to go to Sunderland.
“So having it on the doorstep is great and the staff always make you feel welcome.”