Hospital charity relies on publicity

The publication is entitled Safest and Kindest and has been produced by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH). The newsletter is informative and readable. Sadly the contents lack some important information that the charitable people of Shropshire and Mid Wales should have been told.

The publication covers the good news story that Public Health England carried out a quality assurance assessment of end of life care at the hospital. They concluded the pathway and level of care that has been put in place at what is a very difficult and distressing time for relatives, is of a very high order indeed, which I naturally applaud.

The article specifically mentions the very important part the Swan Boxes and Swan Bags play. Swan Boxes are given to patients family who have an end of life plan in place and Swan Bags when unexpected deaths occur. The bags and boxes contain simple items that a family would need at this time such as pen, paper and tissues.

The missing piece of information is all of these items have been purchased and funded by the League of Friends of the RSH. Similarly, in the same publication, there is a lengthy article about Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening or AAA as it is commonly known.

Again the missing piece of information is that the equipment for carrying out the investigations has been provided and funded by the League of Friends of the RSH. As a charity, the league is very dependent on donations from the public at large all of whom I know care passionately about their hospital.

They should know when they give monies to the League of Friends it is used to buy much-needed, often life-saving equipment.

Publicity is our oxygen and it is a shame there was no mention of the part we played in funding and providing the equipment, from the very source one would have most expected for it to have emanated.

I hope this letter will have helped to right the wrong.

Ray Smith, Chairman, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital League of Friends