North Walsham Hospital Friends

Hospital staff praise community support through lockdown

15th September 2020 by Richard Batson

Staff at North Walsham War Memorial Hospital have praised the morale-boosting support they have had from the local community through lockdown.

The hospital has been dealing with Covid patients as well as routine ones over the last six months, when a temporary ward was added in a day room to cope with the extra workload.

Ward manager Mandie Owen reported to a meeting of the hospital Friends group that it had been a challenging time, with community staff drafted in to help in-patients.

The support from the community, including the Friends who provided weekly goody bags of food for ward staff, was “generous and appreciated”, she said.

Ms Owen said: “The patients and staff felt very supported by the local community and the Friends during the outbreak. It has all been much appreciated.”

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital staff gratitude for Covid support — *Nurse Stella Mihalache and support ward manager Diane Cremin receiving the final goody parcel.*

Staff have enjoyed sharing some of the gifts with the patients to brighten their day, especially those without any friends or family to visit. And staff particularly loved the support during a bad day.

She added: “I cannot tell you how proud I am of the staff. They have worked incredibly hard to support their patients and care for their colleagues if they’re struggling on a shift.”

As well as the Friends parcels, there have been gifts from other local shops, businesses and organisations ranging from flowers to takeaway meals.

The 24-bed unit is prepared for a second wave of pandemic should it happen the report added.

The Friends continue to liaise with health officials about future projects post lockdown, including funding the fitting out of a room at the hospital where visitors can stay overnight or spend a bit of quiet time. Other plans include asking Paston College art students to paint a mural to brighten a blank brick wall outside a ward window.

Blooms give a boost to staff at North Walsham Hospital

8th May 2020 by Richard Batson

A forest of flowers has been delivered to staff at North Walsham’s hospital as a “thank you” for their work during the coronavirus crisis.

*Floral gifts for North Walsham War Memorial Hospital from Daniels Transport and The Florist Shop, Wroxham*

Fifty bouquets were delivered to the town’s War Memorial Hospital by local haulage firm Daniels Transport and The Florist Shop at Wroxham, who doubled the size of the original £500 order as their contribution.

It was the idea of Charlotte and Ben Daniels, whose mum Binni Thurtle and aunt Carrie Moore are both health care assistants at the unit, which is treating Covid and non-Covid patients.

Charlotte explained: “We have seen the Norfolk and Norwich getting lots of gifts and felt our local hospital needed some recognition too – because staff there are dealing with coronavirus patients, and we know they are finding it tough at times. So we thought it would be nice to send the nursing, cleaning and kitchen staff working on the wards some flowers to let them know people value their work.”

Her brother, and father John Daniels, delivered the surprise floral gifts to the hospital helped by Andrew Rushmer and Ray Martin from the Florist Shop which is run by Rachel Pegg.

Ward sister Kerry Howarth said: “The staff are thrilled with the flowers. They are working so hard in full Personal Protective Equipment, and know people are thinking of them, but this gift is a real boost.”

The hospital’s Friends group is spending hundreds of pounds of donated cash to provide weekly goody parcels of food, drink, snacks and treats to support the staff.

Friends chairman Keith Jarvis added: “Our town hospital is really valued by the community in normal times – but during this crisis the amount of support being shown from businesses and families really proves how much the staff’s hard work and care in difficult times is appreciated.”

Goody boxes have also come from the Happisburgh Road stores, and hot meals donated by the Labone Indian restaurant. Several people have rallied round, getting out their sewing machines to make uniform laundry bags and headbands to stop masks behind staff’s ears.

The hospital’s mothership, the Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust, has also provided staff with wellbeing packs including snacks, ready meals, drinks and hand cream. It is also plans to provide fresh fruit, tissues, and creams and to protect the longer term wellbeing of staff.

The trust has confirmed that the 24-bed hospital has been expanded to help cope with increased demand during the Covid crisis by converting a day room, normally used for patients and visitors to relax in, into a four-bed temporary ward.

Booklet’s window on hospital of the 1930s

14th April 2020 by Richard Batson

We love a bit of history at the Friends – particularly about our much-loved hospital.

And with hospitals in general currently in the nation’s hearts and minds during the coronavirus pandemic,it is a fitting time to remind us of health care from an earlier age, back in the 1930s.

*North Walsham War Memorial Hospital 1937 booklet*

News footage is currently showing footage of hi-tech ventilators in intensive care units, and staff wearing protective gear.

But things were different – simpler but just as caring – back in 1937 as an official booklet from the time shows.

It was just 13 years after the hospital opened, built through a public appeal after the First World War to honour the local men who gave their lives.

Inside the plain fabric cover of the 1937 there are wonderful facts, figures and phrases that capture the hospital – including sentiment about why it was built in the first place.

“What could be more fitting than that the physical sacrifices and sufferings, so nobly endured, should be remember for all time through a hospital dedicated to the healing of diseases and the relief of human distress?” it proclaims.

The introduction recalls that 1919 meeting which voted unanimously to build the hospital for a cost of £4000.

It is not just in modern times when hospitals are built, then immediately found to be too small. It happened in the first year (1924-25) at North Walsham too where the “accommodation proved inadequate” and two extra beds were put in each of the public wards.

In 1932 a Premises Improvement Fund was started and in 1935-36 the two main wards were extended, while a new emergency ward and children’s ward of three cots were added.

In 1937-38 there were 400 patients admitted, 300 operations and 128 x-rays carried out. The average stay was 13 1/3 days at a weekly cost of £2 13s 8d per bed.

The booklet says the hospital’s location has “the additional advantage of the bracing airs of the East Coast” just a short distance away.

There are pictures of the wards and operating theatres of the time with their cast iron beds and basic facilities. But letters from grateful patients talk of them appreciating “happy and cheerful” stays.

There is a list of officers and staff, including chairman Dr CD H W Page and matron Miss R J Sampson.

And some fabulous adverts show the traders of the time including Rackstraws “high class grocer and provision merchant”, Oliver and Griston surgical and medical suppliers, W F Leeder (printers, bookbinders and paper bag merchants), and Fayers “the hygienic bakers”.

We hope you enjoy looking back at the hospital’s earlier days. The Friends are continuing to provide support for the hospital with regular goody parcels for hard working staff during this unprecedented time, and will be tackling projects such as some new outside wall art and an overnight room for patients’ relatives once the Covid-19 crisis is over.

*This copy of the booklet is held at the Norfolk libraries service archive in Norwich. The publisher and copyright owner of the book is untraced but it appears to be by the hospital officials of the time, so we hope it is ok to publish a snapshot of it here, as a reminder of the hospital’s fascinating past and strong community support.

Friends support hospital staff with goodies during Coronavirus pandemic

1st April 2020 by Richard Batson

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.

North Walsham Hospital Friends goodie parcels to staff during Coronavirus pandemic — *Friends chairman Keith Jarvis with the first batch of goodies parcels for hospital staff during the Coronavirus pandemic.*

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.

Receptionist Shirley steps down after 39 years – but you might not have seen the last of her welcoming face

31st March 2020 by Richard Batson

The friendly face who greets patients and visitors at North Walsham Hospital has retired.

But receptionist Shirley Turner has bowed out quietly after the Coronavirus “lockdown” prevented her presentation lunch taking place.

Retiring North Walsham Hospital receptionist Shirley Turner.

Instead she said goodbye to colleagues on Friday and hopes to return once the pandemic is over for a belated farewell gathering.

She is also set to make occasional “comebacks” as a temporary “bank staff” member, particularly during the pandemic crisis.

Shirley started at the hospital 39 years ago back in April 1981, helping with ward admin for three hours on a Saturday morning. Previously, before having her two sons (now 46 and 43) she did office work at Jeckells sailmakers in Wroxham.

Her hospital role grew to cover health centres at Cromer, Sheringham and Fakenham as well as Northfield Road at North Walsham.

Shirley went full time 25 years ago, and switched to reception when the new hospital was opened in 2012. Her valuable, unstinting, behind-the-scenes work was recognised with an “unsung hero” award at an NHS Reach for the Stars event.

“Community hospitals like this are brilliant. Ours has changed a lot. When I started it had maternity and minor injury units. I have enjoyed supporting the various departments but loved meeting people and have got to know many of the regulars,” she said when the Friends caught up with her just before she left – to spend more time looking after her garden and six grandchildren.

Shirley is a big fan of the Friends, who have helped make people’s wait in reception more pleasant by buying a radio for background music.

The Friends sent her farewell flowers, and some gardening vouchers. Friends chairman Keith Jarvis said: “Shirley has been a wonderful welcoming figure when people first come through the hospital front door. She has also been a big supporter of the Friends, and helped steer people towards our donation box. We will miss her.”

Hospital staff praise community support through lockdown

Blooms give a boost to staff at North Walsham Hospital

Booklet’s window on hospital of the 1930s

Friends support hospital staff with goodies during Coronavirus pandemic

Receptionist Shirley steps down after 39 years – but you might not have seen the last of her welcoming face

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