Help man Savernake Hospital shop (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Help man Savernake Hospital shop

7:00am Friday 8th January 2010

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Almost five years after the new Savernake Hospital building was opened the hospital Friends are pressing ahead with their plans to open a shop for the use of patients and staff.

Space was set aside for a shop when the hospital was rebuilt in 2005 but the Friends of Savernake Hospital held back until the result was known of a judicial review in the High Court last summer which upheld the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit and day hospital.

Once the court action was over the shop plans were revived and hospital campaigner Val Compton was appointed project manager.

The shop will provide a service to staff, inpatients, outpatients, visitors and people with disabilities living nearby.

Mrs Compton said: “Both the stock and opening hours will be customer led. Staff and patients have requested a range of items including toiletries, stationery, cards, puzzle books and so forth.

“We will also keep a range of gadgets for people with disabilities and useful small items such as ferrules for walking sticks. Newspapers have not been delivered to the hospital for a few years and both patients and visitors have asked for them”.

Local delivery business ST News from Ogbourne St George has begun by supplying patients in the Cotswold House eating disorder unit where staff had been searching for over a year for a supplier.

Mrs Compton said she was hoping to extend the newspaper service to the Ailesbury Unit as soon as possible.

Where possible, she said, goods would be sourced locally to support the local economy. Kennet Pharmacy has agreed to provide toiletries and other shops in the Marlborough, Pewsey and Hungerford area will be asked to help.

A drive has started to recruit volunteers to run the shop and Mrs Compton said: “The Friends has been an organisation entirely reliant on public support for over 50 years.

“The public have always been very generous and now I’m putting out a plea for new volunteers to come forward. Meeting staff and patient requirements for opening times will be entirely dependant on recruiting enough volunteers.”

Anyone interested in helping in the shop should contact Mrs Compton either by email: valcompton@ tiscali.co.uk or calling her on (01672) 511913.

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