Broomfield Hospital’s Neonatal Unit has received vital new equipment thanks to generous funding from the Friends at Broomfield Hospital. The charity has funded a new neonatal transport incubator, worth over £47,000. The additional incubator will play a crucial role in safely transferring some of the most vulnerable babies from the maternity unit to the neonatal ward.

Designed specially to provide consistent, controlled ventilation for newborns, the incubator ensures their safety and stability during transfers. Being portable means that it also allows medical staff to deliver high-quality care even during movement between departments, reducing the risk of complications for premature or seriously ill babies.

This latest donation continues an outstanding partnership spanning more than 75 years. Since their formation in 1949, the volunteers from the Friends at Broomfield Hospital have worked tirelessly to support patients, staff, and services across Broomfield Hospital.

Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity, which works alongside Broomfield Hospital to support projects like this, is proud to recognise the continued commitment of the Friends at Broomfield. Their generosity helps ensure that patients and staff have greater access to the very latest equipment and technology.

Jackie Kane, Ward Manager of the Neonatal Unit, said:
“We are extremely grateful for the support and funding received from the Friends at Broomfield to make this purchase possible. This new equipment will make a big difference to both patients and staff.”

Alison Douglas, chairperson of Friends at Broomfield, said:
“We are delighted to have been able to donate this wonderful piece of equipment to the neonatal team”.

Thanks to this donation, the Neonatal Unit is now even better equipped to care for the hospital’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients, providing reassurance to families at a difficult time.

One of our Friends’, Penny, met 3 of the Clinical Specialist Nurses; Emerald Sekaran, Daniela Boteanu and Maria Franky and Admin Support; Jgo Naga Akumela from the Rheumatology team. The Friends’ were delighted to present some much needed items for the Rheumatology staff room; a kettle, toaster and a sandwich maker.

These funds were donated via Penny from a gentleman named Richard, who is only too aware of the amazing support given to patients by the NHS Rheumatology team.

Penny and her husband surprised Richard (for his 75th birthday) with a ride in their 1957 Austin Healey …. a very nostalgic treat for Richard, who owned a similar model in his teenage years! Luckily it was a lovely sunny day, perfect weather for spinning round the country lanes with the ‘top down’ … and thoroughly enjoyed by all!!

It’s a pleasure to be able to support the staff … in recognition of all their help to our patients … and enable them to benefit from a much needed ‘cuppa’ and a toasted sandwich!

Members of the Friends’ met today with Consultants Vidya Thakur and Paul Fiadjoe – who are part of the Gynaecology Team – to see how our recent donation of £9,405 has been put to use. The donation was requested to fund the purchase of a ‘State of the Art Laparoscopy Training Device’.

Laparoscopy is a type of keyhole surgery used to diagnose and treat conditions, such as ectopic pregnancies, ovarian cysts and hysterectomies. It allows the surgeon to use only small cuts and a camera for procedures inside the tummy or pelvis. This type of surgery is much less intrusive for the patient and as such enables them to be discharged from the hospital on the same day in most cases… which was great to hear and is definitely a patient benefit!

The Laparoscopy training device is located in a general office area to enable easy access to all staff. Surgeons and Doctors benefit from being able to practice and perfect their techniques to perform keyhole surgery. The equipment represents the ‘body’ and entering attachments via the ‘keyholes’ simulates the procedure. The attached monitor displays their actions as they continue through their training operation.

Vidya and Paul gave us an interesting demonstration … explaining how the training device works and adapts for both right-handed and left-handed trainees. Paul showed us the ‘toybox’! – a range of attachments that can be used to assist ‘practical training’ for many different clinical procedures. He also added that, in future, medical students will be able to have access to the equipment as part of their training. We enjoyed our lesson … our thanks to both Consultants for giving up their time to entertain us!

For 75 years, the Friends at Broomfield have been a vital part of Broomfield Hospital, raising funds to improve patient care and support staff.

With over 50 dedicated volunteers running two hospital shops, they contributed a record-breaking £104,000 in 2024 alone. Over the decades, their generosity has exceeded £1.5 million, funding essential projects and equipment.

Alison Douglas, Chair of the Friends, said,
“We are honoured to support Broomfield Hospital 75 years after the charity began—helping by providing equipment and services, just as the first group of Friends did. We strive to always support the work of our NHS colleagues, patients, and visitors by making a positive contribution to hospital life.”

Their support over the years has helped provide transport incubators, stroke rehabilitation equipment, breast reconstruction support, medical training tools, and virtual reality for nervous patients.

Every one of their projects has made a meaningful difference to patient care, and their contributions are visible on almost every ward.

Lucy Thomas-Clayton, Director of Charities and Voluntary Services, said:
“We are incredibly fortunate to have the Friends at Broomfield by our side. Their unwavering commitment has transformed countless lives, and we are so grateful for everything they do.”

The all adult wards were visited by members of The Friends together with the Voluntary Services Dept to distribute Christmas gifts to all patients who needed to stay in hospital over Christmas.

The Friends were very proud to donate funding of £2,000 to support this initiative and we understand that the gifts were very well received by the patients! We certainly hope that this helped to brighten their day …

The Friends’ donation of £4,030 has funded a Billigun Jaundice Meter which is being used by the Community Midwifery Team.

Jodie Cummings-Sorrell, Midwifery Team Lead told us “Using the Billigun out in the community has meant so many babies have been able to stay with their family at home, rather than being brought into hospital for tests.

Using the meter, we can identify jaundice babies in a more timely manner meaning they are less likely to become unwell! This has been an invaluable piece of kit for the Community Midwifery Team and we are all very grateful to The Friends for donating this to us! Many thanks from the whole team.”