The BSUH Charity ‘Help BSUH Hospitals Fight Covid-19’ campaign was launched in March last year, so that the local community could show their support for staff across the Trust’s four hospitals. The decision to spend the money on a new staff room at PRH was taken following feedback in our annual health and wellbeing staff survey, which focused on how charitable donations could best be spent.
The Trust is committed to improving staff welfare in both the short and longer term. Since the campaign began, BSUH Charity and the Health and Wellbeing teams have partnered to implement a host of other support services. Funding has been used to launch the ‘HELP’ staff counselling service, and support the refurbishment of on-call rooms for staff staying away from home. Work is now starting on a new staff room at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, as well as more outdoor seating facilities across both sites.
The staff room prov
ides a comfortable, calm space for staff to relax with colleagues. Project Wingman, a charity run by airline pilots and crew, will also be based at the Heroes’ Lounge five days a week to support frontline workers over a cup of tea, sharing experiences of working in a high pressured environment.
Sarah Tasker, Director of BSUH Charity and Faye Heffernan, Engagement, Health and Wellbeing Manager at BSUH, were at the hospital in Haywards Heath, when the room was opened. Sarah said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to open this space for the amazing staff here. There was an outpouring of community support for this campaign, and to see it being brought to life like this is wonderful. Thank you to everyone in the community who wanted to support staff through this difficult time. We will continue to listen to staff at the Trust, in order to support them in the ways they need it most.”
To find out more about BSUH Charity visit: www.bsuh.nhs.uk/charity.
To donate and support the ‘Help BSUH Hospitals Fight Covid-19’ campaign, please visit: www.helpBSUHhospitals.org.uk
Image: Sarah Tasker, Director of BSUH Charity and Faye Heffernan, Engagement, Health and Wellbeing Manager at BSUH, opening the new ‘Heroes’ Lounge’ communal staff room at the Princess Royal Hospital.
