The rising cost-of-living coupled with the pressures of Christmas is a difficult situation being faced by many people, including our staff.

We’ve looked at different ways to support staff and following the success of our summer marketplaces, we held two more in the last week which gave colleagues the opportunity to collect toys, clothes, food, and household items. We also ran a tombola with gifts and vouchers up for grabs.

I’m delighted at how successful our most recent marketplaces have been at both King George and Queen’s hospitals and together, with other initiatives including uniform vouchers and free period products, we’ve supported nearly a thousand members of staff so far.

Construction work at King George Hospital (KGH)

If you visited KGH this week, you might have noticed the first stage of our construction work as we prepare for our £14m Surgical Hub upgrade.

The initial phase is taking place in the Cedar Centre and will be completed by Christmas. Access to patient areas isn’t affected and to minimise disruption, we’ve provided screens to affected windows and have installed dust protection to existing doors and openings.

Our expanded Surgical Hub will include two new theatres, upgraded staff facilities, improved storage, and double the number of recovery beds. It is expected to be completed by spring 2024.

Award wins for Sodexo

Our facilities management partners, Sodexo and Mitie, make a huge contribution to our Trust and help provide key services to keep our hospitals running.

I’m delighted that colleagues from Sodexo, who manage our facilities at Queen’s, were recognised for their work and won accolades at the Spirit of Sodexo awards in Liverpool.

Congratulations to Steve Jones and the security team who received the ‘Region CEO Special Award’, and to Lorraine Thomas, who was named Manager of the Year.

Best wishes.

Matthew Trainer
Chief Executive