Almost £200k is being invested in providing comfortable areas
A thumbs-up from staff in one of the newly refurbished staff areas(Image: Humber Health Partnership)
Almost £200,000 is being invested in revamping staff facilities across Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in one of WISHH’s biggest ever projects. WISHH, the charity dedicated to supporting patients at Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI) and Castle Hill Hospital, has generously allocated the funds to be invested in improving staff areas at HRI over the coming months.
Carl Wheatley, WISHH chief executive, said: “We are committed to supporting both patients and staff across Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and know that high-quality rest spaces are widely recognised as vital for staff morale, wellbeing, and resilience, particularly in high-pressure clinical settings. Funding for the project, one of the largest ever undertaken by WISHH, was partly provided through NHS Charities Together following a successful bid for national funding by the charity’s trustees.
“Financial support from NHS Charities Together enables local NHS charities to deliver practical improvements that make a real difference on the ground. The project has focused on improving dedicated staff rest spaces within the hospitals, creating calmer, more comfortable environments where NHS staff can take a proper break during long and demanding shifts.
“The refurbished rest areas will include improvements to décor, lighting, furnishings, and facilities, creating more welcoming and restorative environments. Staff input is helping to shape the design, ensuring the spaces meet practical needs as well as providing a sense of calm away from busy wards.
“In total, eight staff rooms have been identified as requiring extensive refurbishment works, and a further 13 staff rooms have been identified as requiring moderate improvements such as the addition of soft furnishings, decoration or small appliance upgrades.” Simon Nearney, group chief people officer, said: “Having comfortable areas where you can go and take a break is really important for your health and wellbeing.
“Unfortunately, some of our staff areas had become tired and poorly equipped, with funding prioritised on improving our clinical areas, so we’re delighted that WISHH is supporting us in making these improvements. The rooms where the works have been done have been identified with input from our clinical and capital teams, to ensure that we’re prioritising the areas that need it the most and it has been great to see the progress that’s already been made.”
The Health Tree Foundation, the charity supporting hospitals in Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and Goole, has also submitted a bid to NHS Charities Together to improve staff facilities. It is expected to find out if this has been successful at the end of next month.
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