As part of our Raise a Smile appeal which focuses on raising funds to care for our colleague’s mental health and wellbeing, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Charity launched a series of random acts of kindness days to help us recognise our hard-working colleagues and boost morale during difficult times.

Our random acts of kindness varied from handing out thousands of pieces of cake and free cups of tea during the NHS Big Tea, a bag of pick ‘n’ mix, our Christmas Advent Calendar Draw where we gifted a range of prizes from Echo Dots, to days out to coffee machines throughout December to our roaming tea trolley which visits wards when they are under pressure to ensure they are well looked after and hydrated.

If you are a local company and can support our random acts of kindness days by sponsoring a day or donating a gift, we would welcome your support. Please get in touch with our Charity Team on dbth.charity@nhs.net

The charity was delighted to support a new CT Scanner Suite at Bassetlaw to commission Keane Creative to undertake bespoke artwork to help aide patient distraction and enhance the environment using art and design in the inpatient waiting area and scan room.  Patients can at times be on a CT scanner for up to thirty minutes for some procedures and it’s important they are as relaxed as possible.

Sara Elliott, Head of Radiology at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), said, “We have been delighted to take delivery of a new CT scanner and MRI unit at Bassetlaw Hospital in March, both of which will help us to provide the best possible care to our patients.  The new units will help us to enhance and improve local radiology for the over 18,000 patients who use this service each and every year.

“We want to thank Keane Creative who have been commissioned by Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Charity to create bespoke artwork within the CT Suite. A CT scan can sometimes take up to 30 minutes, and this wonderful wall art helps to create an interesting, stimulating and comforting distraction for patients while they undergo their procedure.  This addition has only been made possible by the kind donations sent to the hospital by our local communities, businesses and organisations.”

The care that bereaved families receive in hospital following the death of a relative is crucial. These experiences may be remembered by parents for the rest of their lives, and bad experiences are likely to exacerbate feelings of pain and grief for bereaved families, potentially for many years to come. Small details can mean a great deal to recently bereaved families, and the environment in which care is delivered is of particular importance.

We were honoured to provide funding to create a dedicated bereavement suite on our emergency department at Doncaster Royal Infirmary to provide a holistic, caring space for families to spend their final hours with their loved ones but also to show recognition and thanks to one of our ED Staff Nurses who sadly passed away to Covid-19, by naming the room after her; the Butterfield Suite.

With the help of DFS who donated soft furnishings and decorations for the suite, we were able to transform an unused space.