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Patients discharged from Leicester’s Hospitals will benefit from special care packages to help them get back to their lives at home thanks to a special collaboration between Leicester Hospitals Charity, the British Red Cross and Furnley House Foundation.
Special packs containing refreshments and comfort items to help ease patients back into their everyday lives will be rolled out with every patient at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General and Glenfield Hospital receiving a pack.
It’s anticipated that around 3,000 special discharge packages a month will be given to patients once the service is fully up and running. The initiative comes during a time of unprecedented challenge for Leicester’s Hospitals, which continue to fight with the complexities the COVID-19 outbreak has had among the all areas of care the Trust provides.
Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Head of Fundraising, Gareth Aston, says “the service is a fantastic initiative that will help ease patients back into their lives at home.”
“We are proud to be teaming up with the British Red Cross to help provide discharged patients in our hospitals with these great care packages,” says Gareth.
“Being in hospital is something none of us enjoy, but to be in hospital during such a critical time as the one we’re living through now brings so many additional stresses for patients. These packs will include tea bags, coffee, milk, sugar Cuppa Soups and more to help make that transition back to home that much easier for them and their loved ones.”
Madeline Farrar, Emergency Response Operations Manager for the British Red Cross says the organisation are proud to help provide this service to patients at Leicester’s Hospitals.
“We are working closely with our partners to ensure food deliveries to those shielded or isolating in the community,” says Madeline.
“It is an extremely busy time for our teams as we work to ensure the most vulnerable receive support during these difficult times. Our staff and volunteers continue to provide support across the UK and I am incredibly proud of the kindness they are providing throughout this pandemic.”
Chair of the Furnley House Foundation, Simon Winfield and the Trustees have kindly covered the cost of 1,500 of the care packages. The Foundation are also actively fundraising to fund the remaining packs so all patients discharged can receive one.
“During this crisis, there are so many things we wish we could do to help those in need,” says Simon.
“We think these packages are a fantastic idea. Not only help patients who are discharged from the hospitals, they reflect how all of us are coming together to support each other despite how hard these times are. All of us at the Furnley House Foundation are proud to support our amazing local NHS staff who are fighting on the frontlines against this awful pandemic and are happy to help their patients in this small way.”