South Tyneside Hospital support group’s £13,000 chair gift

Left to right, seated, League of Friends members Josie Wigham, Betty Pippin and Ann Thompson; back row, South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trusts director of estates and facilities Steve Jamieson. League of Friends liaison Liz Nicholson and medical devices co-ordinator Clare Williams

The £13,200 investment brings the total number which they have provided in the last five years to 57.

The new wheelchairs are available for porters and carers to move patients quickly and easily around the hospital for treatment, tests and appointments.

They have been allocated to areas where there is particular demand, including Outpatients and Maternity, and two are specifically for bariatric patients.

They are colour coded so they can easily be identified and returned to the relevant department.

Medical Devices Co-ordinator Clare Williams said: “The generosity of the League of Friends never ceases to amaze us.

“Their gift of around £13,200 has enabled us to strengthen our wheelchair fleet which will help us to keep services running smoothly and improve our patients’ experience.”

The League of Friends was founded in 1948 – the same year as the NHS. In the past seven decades.

Its volunteers have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to provide local patients and staff with extra comforts and equipment.

It raises money through the likes of its shop in the main entrance of South Tyneside District Hospital’s Ingham Wing, to provide patients and staff with extra comforts and equipment.

The shop is open five days a week and is run by League volunteers who sell drinks and snacks, raising around £60,000 a year.

The League has around 80 volunteers who are aged from 50s to those in their 80s.