Can you spare a festive fiver for our A&Es?

Looking for the perfect present for the person who has everything? Well, why not give them something priceless – the knowledge they’re helping people to have a more pleasant experience should they need to come to A&E.

Today on Giving Tuesday – a day when people are encouraged to support good causes – we are launching our Christmas A&E appeal which encourages people to donate a festive fiver to help us purchase some excellent enhancements to improve your experience.

The appeal is being led by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s (NLaG) official charity – the Health Tree Foundation (HTF).

For just a fiver, you could help us install mobile phone charging cabinets, helping people to keep in touch with loved ones. Or, for our younger patients and their siblings, you could help us provide gaming machines to help keep them distracted and entertained.

It will go towards fantastic facilities like:

• Mobile gaming units and interactive floors to help keep our younger patients amused while they’re waiting to be seen
• FREE mobile phone charging facilities to keep you entertained and in touch with your loved ones
• Sky Inside artificial skylight panels to help provide a more pleasant focal point for patients in our pediatric and resuscitation cubicles
• Screens which can be used as TVs and digital information screens.

The cost of installing all this in the new A&Es we’re building in Grimsby and Scunthorpe is just £35,000 per site and it’s all been picked out by our staff based on what they see in our A&Es every day.

Zoe Dutton, A&E matron at Scunthorpe hospital, said: “The new A&E will be the right thing for the local community. These extra facilities are about making our A&E the best in the country and giving patients the best experience. I am planning to do an open water swim to raise money for the appeal and I know many of our staff are also be keen to get involved in the appeal.”

Natalie Till, matron for emergency care at Grimsby hospital, said: “It is a really exciting opportunity to be able to give people of the town a service they can be proud of. I live locally and my family have used A&E in the past and I would want them to have the best experience possible.”

Emma Hartley, HTF community champion for Scunthorpe, said: “Christmas is all about giving and we’re hoping our community will dig deep and help us raise funds for these enhancements which will make a massive difference to our patients.”

You can donate to the campaign via https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/SGHAEChristmas and https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/GrimsbysAEChristmas.