This Valentine’s Day, we wanted to show some love for the Newcastle Hospitals staff that have worked tirelessly over the last two years, and showcase some of the major grants we’ve made that have helped them to get through COVID-19, both in terms of the illness itself and the wider effects of the pandemic.
- We’ve recently made a grant of £64,000 to the Newcastle Occupational Health Service to continue their vital work in delivering psychological and physiotherapy support to Trust staff who have had COVID-19, to help them in their return to work. This builds on a previous grant for the service, which proved extremely successful in supporting staff to better manage their post-COVID symptoms, plus address any fears and anxieties they have about returning to work.
Of course, it’s not just people who’ve had COVID-19 whose levels of anxiety and mental ill-health have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Staff across the trust have reported increased levels of anxiety relating to a range of factors including the risk of catching COVID, the impact and logistics of of self-isolation and high levels of workload as staffing levels are challenged whilst patient numbers remain high.
- With this in mind, we’ve recently agreed a £164,000 grant to fund accessible and flexible psychological and practical support to staff within the Great North Children’s Hospital and the Trust’s Community Services teams, to help towards reducing levels of stress and burnout in these vital teams.
- We’ve also used £40,000 of money we received from NHS Charities Together to fund a similar service for the Trust’s critical care staff.
Jon Goodwin, Head of Grant Programmes at Newcastle Hospitals Charity said:
“Improving the health, wellbeing and morale of NHS staff at Newcastle Hospitals is one of the main reasons we exist, and this support has never been more necessary than during the last two unprecedented years. These are just a few examples of how we’ve attempted to show love to our incredible staff during the pandemic. But we do so much more! The Helping Hands service, for example, enables all Newcastle Hospitals staff to receive free, confidential, and impartial advice from Citizens Advice, while we regularly support staff to liberate their potential by accessing high quality training and other professional development opportunities.”
“And we’re always open to new ideas – ANY member of Newcastle Hospitals staff can apply for a grant from the Charity if they’ve got an idea that will improve the health and wellbeing of our patients, people, and wider communities. They can apply online or email me for advice and support.”
For more information about supporting Newcastle Hospitals Charity, please click here.
Improving the health, wellbeing and morale of NHS staff at Newcastle Hospitals is one of the main reasons we exist, and this support has never been more necessary than during the last two unprecedented years.
Jon Goodwin Head of Grant Programmes, Newcastle Hospitals Charity
