A delivery of twenty-five breast surgery care packs has been donated to the Breast Friends support group at Broomfield Hospital following funding of £1,536 from the Friends at Broomfield.

£1,000 of this funding was received on behalf of one particular donor who requested that the donation be directed to Breast Care at Broomfield.

The packs contain carefully selected items for a hospital stay following breast-related surgery. Included in each pack are drain bags, sleep masks, self-heating eye-masks and toiletry items, all known to be of particular use before and after surgical procedures.

A recipient of one of the boxes said: “I can’t tell you how much it meant to receive one of these care packages. Not just because of the things in it but because someone took the time to put it together especially for me.”

Volunteer Marion Lee of the Friends at Broomfield experiencing the Northern Lights courtesy of the new VR headset which has been donated by the Friends to the Broomfield Anaesthetic Department. Awaiting their turn are Chairperson Alison Douglas and volunteer Alison Bridge.

The headset which cost £2,445 was presented to Alon Kramer from the Anaesthetics Team who explained how it is used … it acts as a distraction, mainly to calm young patients or nervous adults, when they are undergoing procedures or about to receive an anaesthetic. It has been a big hit with both staff and patients alike, and has been a hugely beneficial piece of equipment for the department.

Anaesthetist, Dr. Alon Kramer said: “We are exceptionally grateful for the funding provided to us by the Friends at Broomfield.

Nine specialist breast feeding pumps have been funded via a donation of £12,600 from the wonderful Friends at Broomfield.

The specialist grade pumps will benefit mums and babies receiving care and support from the Cleft lip and palate team at Broomfield Hospital. Babies born with a cleft palate and/or lip, will often have trouble creating a vacuum with their mouth to breast feed directly from their mother, these pumps will mean that those babies can still have breast milk without the struggle. 

Laura O’Brien, Clinical Nurse Specialist said: “We are so grateful to the Friends for their support. The free loan service will mean that families do not need to purchase or pay to rent their own breast pump which is often costly. Mothers now have greater options to continue breast feeding their babies that would otherwise have needed to have been supplemented with formula milk”.

The nine pumps will be available for loan at no charge for as long as is needed by mothers and their babies.

One hundred and fifty pairs of supportive slippers have made their way to Broomfield’s Falls team for distribution to wards where patient falls are more prevalent. The ever-loyal and supportive Friends at Broomfield group has funded the latest supply of slippers.

Carrie Tyler, Falls Improvement Specialist Practitioner, said “The support of the Friends is appreciated by us all. These slippers will benefit many of our older patients by providing them with supportive footwear whilst on the ward and for their recovery at home, especially for those who do not have any family or friends to buy new ones for them.

“The patients we have provided the slippers for already have been delighted, enabling them to begin to mobilise.”

Staff training is a really important aspect of delivering patient care. The Friends were pleased to award £2,330 to fund the Phacon Throat Assist.

This is a ‘model head’ which is used in conjunction with a scope (camera) … and enables staff to be trained with intricate precision.

Where patients have difficulty swallowing …. using this technique therapists can determine many things … a patients’ saliva level, how food and liquid travels down the throat, if there are pockets in the throat where food is collecting and when things ‘go down the wrong way’.

When the scope is inserted into the nose and down the throat, the inside of the ‘model head’ replicates a human form. The level of detail is incredible …  as a practical step of the therapists’ training, this ‘model head’ enables staff to perfect their skills before performing patient procedures. 

The Friends at Broomfield Hospital recently awarded £4,200 to fund the ‘patient bedwarmers’.

Pictured here are hospital staff with ladies from the Friends who visited the department to see how this equipment is helping patients ….

Staff from the department kindly explained how the sealed ‘mattress pads’ sit on top of a mattress (between the mattress and the patient) and the pads are plugged in and heated to the required temperature to help raise and maintain a patients’ body temperature….particularly critical for patients who have experienced burns … as where the skin is lost it is difficult to maintain body temperature.