Staff at North Walsham Hospital do a superb job during normal times – but they are going the extra mile just at the moment during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Hospital Friends, who regularly support staff as well as patients with “little extras”, have also upped their game to match – providing weekly goody parcels to boost the team doing such sterling work.

The goodies,  ranging from tea and coffee to individual cakes, chocolate and biscuits – plus a batch of sausage rolls by special request – have been sourced through Trunch Corner Stores in the home village of Friends chairman Keith Jarvis.

He said: “We know these are tough and anxious times for the nursing and support staff at the hospital – and we wanted to play our part in keep up their strength and morale in the weeks ahead.

“Staff flagged up their needs and we were more than happy to provide deliveries, which we leave at the hospital. The feedback from staff has been brilliant.

“The nurses, and admin staff, are doing a terrific job in trying circumstances – and we look forward to thanking them face to face when this is all over.”

Thanks to Chris and Jenny at the Trunch shop who did a special order through wholesalers Bookers to fulfil the Friends order. 

The Friends goodie parcels support comes after the hospital’s “mothership”, the Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust, also provided its hospital units with some initial staff supplies, and North Walsham’s Indian restaurant Labone delivered hot meals for the team.

We will be topping up the staff goody supplies on a regular basis during the crisis, using funds given to the hospital by our generous public donors, who are always keen to thank the unit, and its staff, for the treatment they receive.

North Walsham hospital was in the spotlight at the annual general meeting of the community health and care trust which runs it.

Our £20,000 Day Room refurbishment, which the Friends paid for, was among the examples of how fundraising is helping make a difference to the delivery of services.

Some are funded by a central pot of charitable cash held by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust. Others, like the Day Room, by local Friends groups.

They totalled £450,000 across the Trust last year the agm was told by non executive director Lorna Bailey.

Other projects across the county ranged from a £28,000 worth of sensory room for disabled children to £1000 worth of gardening equipment – as well as dementia champion and health coach training.

The agm, on Thursday September 26,  also heard the trust had spent £3.7m on capital projects (buildings and equipment). It is also facing a loss of £12.6m – fuelled by an ongoing £6,1m VAT tax bill issue  and revaluation of assets which lost a further £5.2m. Without those two exceptional figures the loss was £1.9m with the aim of breaking even next year.  

Despite all the challenges facing the health services, the meeting was an upbeat affair, with some inspirational, and entertaining, presentations from senior executives to community nurses.

The Friends deputation who attended the agm came away realising our work is necessary …and appreciated.