Big thank brew to NHS
BRITAIN will give thanks to its NHS heroes by coming together over a cup of tea.
Our health service turns 73 on July 5 and raising a mug is seen as an apt way to celebrate as half of Britons say tea breaks have helped them get through the pandemic.
The NHS Big Tea will be a chance to raise cash for NHS Charities Together, the UK-wide network of organisations looking after staff and patients.
Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said: “The NHS Big Tea is a great reminder that it is important to look after ourselves and I want to thank NHS Charities Together for helping everyone to take a moment to reflect.”
Money raised will increase the practical and emotional supand
port available to NHS patients and volunteers as battle the Covid crisis and the long road to recovery.
The federation raised more than £150million through its Covid-19 Urgent Appeal. Grants issued to every one of its 240 member charities have provided help to patients, staff and volunteers. This year another £78million is being distributed to communities.
Future funds will be used to help the NHS recover from the long-term impact of Covid.
One example is at Moorfields Eye Hospital in north London, where a well-being space has given shattered staff a place to take a break.
Robert Dufton, chief executive of the Moorfields Eye Charity, said: “Thanks to generous donors, we’ve been able to create a space to benefit staff – where they can recharge their batteries.” Meanwhile, tea trucks travel to hospitals
staff, they start
Nature’s remedy... Julia takes her children, right, outside every day to boost their mental wellbeing; inset, Ruth May
control rooms across the capital each day serving hot drinks and food to ambulance staff and volunteers.
And at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, which covers West and North Yorkshire, a wellbeing garden has been created.
Matron Angela McGarry said: “I was on shift and told my dad, who was on a ventilator in intensive care, would not recover from Covid.
“In the next half an hour I had to prepare myself for the ventilator to be turned off. At this point I would have loved nothing more than to have sat in our beautiful well-being garden to reflect and gather my thoughts and feelings.”
Darren Barthorpe, a physiotherapist and occupational therapist technician at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, was redeployed to its Covid ward.
He said: “The chance to take a break, enjoy a cuppa and chat nonsense with a colleague for a few minutes was a real life-saver
during the dark times. I sometimes think the NHS runs on tea and coffee.” Evidence shows projects are making a huge difference to frontline staff with three in 10 saying they most value the support and help with practical needs, like food and drink.