Fundraisers have donated a Christmas gift of £3,000 to boost the wellbeing of patients receiving care from a number of services at Epping’s community hospital.
The League of Friends of St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping presented £500 each to mental health community outpatient teams and five wards run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).
The teams provide physical and mental health care at the Epping Forest Unit and mental health unit. Some patients receive longer term care, which may include extended stays on wards.
Pam Mulholland, chair of the League of Friends, said: “Although the main objective is to help with Christmas festivities, any money left over can be used by the wards to help patients through the year.
“Some patients have no visitors at all and don’t get any presents for Christmas, so this means they can get a gift on Christmas Day.”
Pam and Epping Town Council mayor Razia Sharif met staff to present the donation and find out more about their work. They also met patients and relatives on Roding ward, one of the Trust’s mental health wards.
Razia said the annual Christmas donation was a “wonderful tradition and a great part of the community spirit” in Epping.
She said: “Every year we give the ward teams several hundred pounds each to spend as they wish, whether to make the wards look better or for something they do for themselves or patients.”
Emmanuel Olaniregun, Ward Manager for Roding ward, said the support was “invaluable.”
He said: “Some of our patients are admitted with very few personal belongings and may have limited or no family support. This funding enables us to provide essential items such as clothing and toiletries, helping patients maintain their dignity and feel more comfortable during their stay.
“Although the Christmas donation helps us bring some festive cheer to patients, its benefits extend throughout the year. We use the funding to support meaningful activities, provide small treats, and celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, particularly for patients who may not have family or friends to celebrate with them.
“These may seem like small gestures, but for someone experiencing mental health difficulties, they can make a significant difference to their emotional wellbeing, sense of belonging and overall experience of care.
“We are extremely grateful to the League of Friends for their continued generosity. Their support helps us go beyond essential clinical care and provide the personal touches that make our patients feel valued, respected and remembered.”
Lesley Hanks, Operational Manager for Community Inpatient Services, added: “I’m incredibly grateful to the League of Friends for their generous donation.
“Their continued support makes a real difference to our wards and to the experience of patients in our care.”
Find out more about The League of Friends and how you can support them.
About EPUT
- EPUT has a vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care: Who we are – Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.
- The organisation has invested in inpatient facilities and community services to make them safer and more therapeutic. We have extensively invested in technology to keep patients safer, enhanced training, and are continuously working with our staff, patients, their families and carers to use learning and best practice to enhance our quality of care.
- While there is more to do, the Trust has made significant progress through innovation:
- Our 111 mental health crisis phone line ensures people in need can access support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- People with lived experience have been employed in designated roles across the Trust, ensuring patient voice is heart of the organisation and all that we do.
- A number of new initiatives have been launched, helping people access the support they need when they need it most. These include a mental health urgent care department, By Your Side maternal mental health service, Rough Sleeper team, mental health crisis ambulance cars, virtual wards and neuromodulation service.
- EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 and provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex, Luton and Bedfordshire and Suffolk. We employ more than 7,200 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- To read more about our priorities and commitments to deliver the highest quality and safest care possible, visit https://eput.nhs.uk/about-us/2023-2028-strategic-plan/