Hampshire Hospitals Charity launches fundraising campaign to improve hospital services for children and young people

Hampshire Hospitals Charity has launched its flagship campaign, The Magic Lion Appeal, which will raise money to improve child health services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT).

The appeal is part of the trust’s commitment to improving care for some of their most vulnerable patients cared for in hospitals in Basingstoke and Winchester - and is asking for the help of the local community.

With the support of the public, the campaign aims to enable a number of improvements to be made within the child health department at HHFT, including investing in equipment, ward upgrades and decorations.

This year, the number of children admitted to access child health services through HHFT’s emergency department has increased by nearly 20% in comparison to 2021.

One of the goals is to reconfigure the space at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, allowing patients and their families to be more comfortable whilst in hospital, and giving the expert staff more space to deliver care.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive at Hampshire Hospitals, says: “We aim to provide children and young people with the best possible care. Our staff do a brilliant job, and with the help of the local community we can do so much more.

“Being in hospital can be a disorientating experience for some of our younger patients, so we want to make sure they are in an environment that suits their needs, whether they are being seen for the first time or are coming in for a routine appointment.

“In raising these funds, we’ll be able to make a real difference to so many children’s experiences of hospital for years to come.”

Cath Battrick, lead child health nurse at Hampshire Hospitals, says: “We want to ensure that each patient seen with us feels as comfortable, safe and at ease as they can be and this appeal provides us with an amazing opportunity to do just that.

“Last year, we saw nearly 80,000 outpatient attendances so we also need to ensure our spaces are fit for the demand we’re seeing on our services.”