Springhill Hospice receives £23,000 donation from Morrisons Foundation

The hospice has been able to install a new bath (pictured), replacement beds and hoists

Springhill Hospice has been able to install new specialist equipment, thanks to a £23,000 donation from the Morrisons Foundation.

The hospice has been able to install a new bath, replacement beds and hoists, all of which help increase the comfort of people with life-limiting conditions and their families from Rochdale and the surrounding areas.

Emily Kennedy, Head of Income Generation and Marketing said: “A bath can help bring a little bit of ‘normality’ to our patients’ routine. The baths we use at the hospice come complete with lights and music which makes something we can often take for granted, a real luxury for our patients.”

“Some patients may find they haven’t been able to have a bath at home as they can’t physically get in or out of the bath. With the jacuzzi settings and the music and lighting incorporated into the bath it can be very relaxing for our patients. A bath for our patients is not just a way to have a wash but it helps them to relax. It can give them the opportunity to think they are somewhere other than the hospice and it can help ease physical pain whilst also providing a boost to mental esteem.”

Emily continued: “Additionally, the hoists we have installed enable patients to get out of bed and sit in a chair and to allow staff to toilet and bathe patients safely and with dignity. The new beds offer the best comfort we can possibly give to our patients and the drugs trolley is a vital piece of equipment at the hospice, providing a complete solution for securely storing, distributing and dispensing medicines and controlled drugs to our patients.”

Springhill Hospice first opened its doors back in 1989 and provides a 16 bedded purpose-built facility offering specialist palliative care to patients and their families from diagnosis to end-of-life. The new equipment is used in the charity’s In-Patient Unit (IPU), which is a short stay facility to provide ongoing availability of specialist palliative services for as many people as possible.

Joe Scargill, Morrisons Foundation Specialist, said: “Springhill means so much to people in this part of the country and we are absolutely delighted to be able to play our part in enhancing the exceptionally high level of patient care that they deliver.”

The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects which help improve people’s lives.

Since launching, over £33 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.