James Hall & Co donates £250,000 to Royal Preston Hospital

NHS staff at Royal Preston Hospital are set to benefit from a £250,000 charitable donation aimed at ensuring their on-going well-being and to assist them in the fight against COVID-19.

This significant donation, made on behalf of James Hall and Company Limited, SPAR wholesaler for the north of England, will enable the hospital to realise its ambition to transfer out of date facilities into a state of the art area for staff to unwind, relax and in some cases catch up on much needed sleep.

The scheme will include refurbished male and female showers, cubicles and lockers; sleep “PODS” for staff who have been working long shifts and are too tired to drive home safely; indoor relaxation area complete with sofas, yoga mats and tea and coffee making facilities; a refurbished breast feeding room and an out- door patio area with table and chairs so that staff can unwind in the fresh air.

Speaking on behalf of the Hall family, Andrew Hall said: “As a longstanding local business, we wanted to make a donation which would have a positive impact on NHS staff morale and provide a legacy for the community which would reach far beyond COVID-19.”

Karen Partington, chief executive at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful that our generous donor, James Hall and Company, has agreed to back this particular project which is important to us as it was the brain child of one of our own clinicians.  

"We know that high quality facilities like these will make a huge difference to staff and help improve their physical and mental well-being, which in turn helps them to provide the best possible patient care. We also know that this kind of investment in our estate encourages the recruitment and retention of staff, which is more important than ever before.”

Paula Wilson, head of charities and fundraising for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This extremely generous gesture will have a huge impact on staff morale, at what is an exceptionally challenging time. Being able to offer staff on-site accommodation is a real lifesaver for those who spend their working lives saving others, and we are absolutely thrilled that we can now transform this fabulous idea into reality.”