A million reasons to be so cheerful
CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUNDS FOR NEW INTENSIVE CARE UNIT TOPS £1M
THE Mayor of Hillingdon has helped celebrate as the campaign to raise funds for a new intensive care unit at Harefield Hospital hits £1 million.
Mayor John Hensley and mayoress Diane Hensley joined 60 Harefield Hospital staff and former patients at a hard hat tour of the redevelopment of its ICU to mark the milestone.
The mayor laid several bricks alongside chief executive of the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity, Gill Raikes.
The million milestone means that the charity is now £100,000 off its target contribution to the build, which will accommodate an additional 250 critically ill patients at Harefield each year.
The extension will include six new patient bedrooms and a state-of-theart scanner centre.
Guests were given a sneak peek of the works as the walls and corridors began to take shape.
The charity invited donors who have been vital in achieving the fundraising milestone. Among them were heart transplant patient Geoff Gregory and his wife Beryl.
Mr Gregory said: “We found the tour both enlightening and informative. We both feel honoured to have been invited as Harefield means a great deal to us both.
“I spent a long time in intensive care following my heart transplant. We really look forward to seeing the unit once it is finished.”