Local Hospital Friends celebrate their 90th year.
In this their 90th anniversary year The Friends of Victoria Hospital Wimborne held their AGM in mid-September to update members, and the wider community, on the projects which have been funded at the community hospital.
The well attended meeting heard from the Chair, Mrs Anne Salter, how The Friends work closely with NHS colleagues to understand the NHS pressures and priorities and then seek to “reach the parts the NHS Budget cannot meet”. The overall theme has been to deliver tangible improvements which benefit both patients and staff.
This year has seen a major project to acquire the adjacent former football ground site in order to provide space which will allow evolving NHS needs to be met. In the interim it is being developed to offer additional, sustainable, parking. Additionally, ongoing work in X Ray department was concluded with an upgrade of the ultrasound room. The Friends have also provided high specification gynaecological surgical instruments. Guest speaker, surgeon gynaecologist Charles Baker, explained how these instruments allow procedures to be notably less discomforting to patients and offer much faster recovery for local women, and Wimborne is one of the few locations nationally to be able to offer this service.
To close the evening, President Dr David Pope presented certificates of gratitude to Mary and Chris Steele who volunteer each week to make the hospital gardens look wonderful for the patients and to Clare Dickinson, Facilities Manager DHCT, who has been a huge supporter for the work of the Friends.
The Friends are now looking forward to their next 90 years.
