Christmas comes early for Harrogate District Hospital thanks to £8,000 donation from Sovereign Health Care

The funds have been donated to Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity (HHCC), which raises money to help make a difference to the care and experiences of local patients and their families.

They will be used to help trainee care support workers develop their skills and experience, and provide tablets for patients to use whilst in the hospital’s care.

The Care Support Worker Development Programme provides people who are interested in a career in the healthcare sector with a unique opportunity to learn on the job whilst providing excellent patient care.

The new tablets will give patients new entertainment opportunities, a means to contact friends and family via apps such as FaceTime and Zoom, and even make the process of ordering meals that little bit easier via an app.

Sovereign Health Care is a proud supporter of the NHS, having donated more than £2 million in the past 14 years to support projects which benefit communities across Yorkshire.

Over £120,000 has been donated to Harrogate District Hospital over this time.

The funds have been used to great effect in a number of ways including buying equipment for the ophthalmology department which can help save the sight of babies and children and creating supportive resources to enable increased mental health and wellbeing.

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Angela Schofield, Chairman of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), said: “The £8,000 donation is very much appreciated and will be used to support purchase tablets for electronic meal ordering and patient entertainment and also to help to fund the Care Support Worker Development Programme.”

Sammy Lambert, Business Development, Charity and Volunteer Manager at HDFT, said: “We are very lucky to have received support from Sovereign Health Care over such a long time.

"The donations have had a real positive impact for both our patients and staff and are helping make a real difference.

"Whilst Santa remains the most popular gift giver at this time of year, Sovereign Health come a very close second."

Russ Piper, Chief Executive of Sovereign Health Care, said: “Once again I am delighted Sovereign Health Care is able to support Yorkshire’s hospitals with our annual grants.

"This is especially important in these continuing challenging times.”

For more information about Sovereign Health Care’s Community Programme, visit www.sovereignhealthcare.co.uk/about/community-programme

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