Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust Charity Funded ‘Distraction Kits’ to Support Patients

Coming into hospital can be distressing and challenging for a lot of patients, especially when for more vulnerable members of our communities such as older, younger or those with neuro-diverse conditions.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust Charity has generously funded 136 Patient Support Kits – designed to support patients and provide welcome distractions and comfort during potentially stressful times and treatments.

Jenny Hemingway, Senior Library Assistant, said: “It’s so important that patients feel as comfortable as possible when coming into the hospital. These kits can help people with Dementia, Autism and many other conditions to keep calm and feel safer within our hospital walls. A massive thank you to the Charity for funding the kits – we will continue to fundraise to support the great stuff the Charity does.”

The Trust’s Library Service manages the kits, which are tailored to patients’ needs. They can include resources such as fidget toys, building toys and twiddlemits to keep hands busy. There are also old photos of the town and surrounding areas for some nostalgia, as well as a conversation starter for our patients, and it can even support those whose memories are deteriorating. Every kit is Infection Control compliant and cleaned after every use. The items that cannot be cleaned are given to patients to keep; hopefully providing a source of comfort for the future.

The team recently held a Patient Support Resources Showcase to demonstrate the kits to colleagues across the organisation. Since this event the kits are more and more frequently being used, with the uptake growing every day. The team also held a bake sale and tombola to fundraise and managed to raise a total of £549.87.

The charity is always looking for ways to support initiatives such as this. They can’t make a difference to patients and colleagues without your support. Your donations and support mean the hospital can go above and beyond – offering more than what might be possible through ‘normal NHS funding’.

If you’d like to get involved with the charity, through donations or fundraising, you can find out more here: https://www.chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk/our-charity.