FURNITURE STORE’S £32,000 DONATION HELPS HOSPITAL TO SET UP WELL-BEING ROOMS

A designer furniture store has added a touch of luxury to Crewe’s Leighton Hospital – after donating £32,000 worth of items.

Arighi Bianchi, based in Macclesfield, has provided the hospital with a range of leather armchairs, tables and wall art to be enjoyed by its staff.

The items have helped to create new or enhanced wellbeing rooms across the site for workers to rest in before, during or after their shifts.

Director Nick Bianchi said: “NHS staff have worked tirelessly over recent months to keep us and our families safe.

“It’s important that we also do what we can to look after them, which is why we are pleased to support the hospital’s wellbeing rooms and help to make them comfortable and relaxing environments.”

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Leighton Hospital, now has 17 new wellbeing areas across its sites, which also include Victoria Infirmary in Northwich and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.

Each room has been designed as a space for the Trust’s staff to enjoy time away from their busy office or clinical work settings.

Rooms also include information on the range of health and wellbeing support options available for employees.

James Sumner, Chief Executive of Mid Cheshire Hospitals, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from the local community throughout the coronavirus pandemic and would like to thank everyone at Arighi Bianchi for this incredibly generous donation.

“Coronavirus has undoubtedly put a strain on our staff and so it’s important we help them as much as we can to rest, rehydrate and refuel. This donation has allowed us to set up new or improved areas to help us do this and is already making a difference and being appreciated by our colleagues.”

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT) provides good quality, safe and effective healthcare to the people of Cheshire and beyond. 

The Trust, which manages Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford, was established as an NHS Trust in April 1991 and became a Foundation Trust in April 2008.

It employs more than 4,500 members of staff, has around 540 hospital beds, and provides a range of services including A&E, maternity, outpatients, therapies, and children's health.

MCHFT is continually working towards providing the safest and highest quality care possible and is regularly recognised for its work and achievements. The Trust is consistently named as one of the top employers in the NHS, is one of the handful of acute and community hospital Trusts in England to have a ‘Good’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and achieved the best results of all acute Trusts in the 2016 national NHS Staff Survey.