Community support helps Countess Charity go the Extra Mile for patients

The Countess Charity's Extra Mile Appeal has raised an impressive £160,000 in its first year, funding additional equipment that is already improving patient care across the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The funding has enabled the Trust to invest in equipment that supports quicker diagnosis, more efficient care and a better experience for patients.

Now entering its second year, the appeal is aiming to raise further funds to provide additional equipment for the Breast Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and various hospital wards.

Following the success of the charity’s Blue Skies Balcony and Retinal Scanner appeals, the Extra Mile Appeal was launched last year after The Countess Charity asked frontline staff which additional resources would have the greatest impact on patient care.

Angie Lopez, Head of Fundraising at The Countess Charity, said:

"This appeal was inspired by conversations with frontline staff about what would make the biggest difference to their day-to-day work.

"Many told us that having extra equipment available would help them provide even better care for patients."

Since its launch, the appeal has funded an additional ultrasound scanner for theatres, extra ECG machines, extra bladder scanners, a specialist hearing device for patients unable to use conventional hearing aids, more mobility equipment for the Emergency Department and a saturation monitor to support patients moving from intensive care to a ward setting.

Angie added: 

"The NHS provides the equipment our teams need to deliver safe and effective care, but the Extra Mile Appeal allows us to fund additional resources that can be accessed more quickly when needed.

"That means less time spent locating equipment, faster diagnosis and treatment, and more time focused on caring for patients. It also gives teams a real sense of pride in having equipment readily available for those they care for."

Sue Pemberton, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Nursing and Quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

"The impact of the Extra Mile Appeal is already being felt by both our staff and our patients. Thanks to the support of our local community and The Countess Charity, teams across the Trust have quicker access to additional equipment when and where they need it. This means less time spent locating or sharing equipment and more time focused on caring for patients.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported the appeal and helped ensure our staff have the resources they need to deliver the very best care."

The charity is now looking to build on the appeal's success by funding a number of new projects requested by frontline staff.

A key priority is an additional ultrasound scanner for ICU, helping clinicians access vital imaging equipment more quickly when caring for some of the hospital's most seriously ill patients.

Funds will also support improvements for breast care patients, including replacing seven visual arts therapy screens that help create a calming environment during appointments and treatment, alongside a dedicated ultrasound scanner to increase diagnostic capacity.

Meanwhile, the appeal will fund four additional bladder scanners for wards across the hospital, reducing the need to share equipment, supporting faster diagnosis and helping staff spend more time caring for patients.

To help reach its £200,000 target, The Countess Charity is encouraging supporters to take part in this year's Chester Business Club Walk.

The annual six-mile sponsored walk starts and finishes at Chester Racecourse and offers participants the opportunity to support the Extra Mile Appeal, helping fund equipment that will benefit patients across breast care, intensive care and hospital wards. Participants can choose which area that they would like their sponsorship to go to.

The event is free to enter, with fundraising support available from The Countess Charity, including sponsorship forms and charity T-shirts.

It’s free to enter and you can register here: 

https://chesterbusinessclub.beaconforms.com/form/e895bc26

Anyone interested in taking part or supporting the Extra Mile Appeal can find out more by contacting the fundraising team on:

01244 366 240

...or by emailing:

coch.fundraising@nhs.net

Pictured from left to right: Angie Lopez and Rebecca Hunter, Jade Stenhouse, Gemma McPate -Webb, Gabriela Slotwinska  and Karen Worrall from the breast care unit.