70 year anniversary

MORRISTON HOSPITAL LEAGUE OF FRIENDS

The origin of the League dates back to 1943 when a committee was set up to provide film shows and concerts for wounded servicemen in Morriston Hospital during World War II. It was one of the first leagues to be founded in the country. The first contribution was providing wireless headphones to each bed at the hospital. The Friends purchased a cinematograph projector and twice weekly gave film shows for bed patients. They organised quizzes for the patients in which local sportsmen and personalities took part. To mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 the Friends provided patients with television sets to enable them to watch the pageantry of the Coronation procession and ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

One of their most magnificent gifts was the original Chapel which commemorated the twenty first anniversary of the founding of the hospital. The Chapel and its organ cost nearly £10,000 and the building including the cost of furnishings was £8000. The Chapel was opened in 1964. Chapel services still continue today in the new Multi Faith Centre at the Hospital. Morriston is the only hospital in Wales to hold Sunday morning services. The League of Friends enable patients to attend the Sunday services by transporting them from the wards by wheelchair, bed or assisted walking.

The overnight bungalow accommodation was officially opened in  1976. The idea for  an accommodation unit at the hospital for  the relatives of patients was conceived when the Friends saw visitors sleeping in the alcoves on bedding supplied by the hospital.

New accommodation was opened in 2010 and is used by relatives of seriously ill patients thus enabling them to be near to their family whilst receiving treatment. The new accommodation comprises four bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen and lounge area.

A total cost of £10,000 has been spent on the provision of the new accommodation. The League have purchased all the beds, bedding, and bedroom furniture in each bedroom. The kitchen has been fitted with a fridge, washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave, cooker, all kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery. The lounge area has been equipped with a corner style settee and chairs, television set and dining table and chairs.

Since the commencement of the League of Friends in 1943 over £2.000.000 has  been raised and used to purchase vital equipment for various departments within the hospital. Recent purchases include a Colorectal Endoscope which cost £17442 and is used to treat patients in the early stages of bowel cancer. The equipment used during transanal endoscopic surgery allows small early cancerous or non cancerous growths to be removed without the need of a major procedure thus allowing patients to recover quicker.

The Friends have also purchased Wales’ first 3D scanner. The £20,700 scanner uses five cameras to capture 360 degree external images of the head and body of the patients. This equipment is used at the Maxillofacial Unit. Patients needing face and body prosthesis, design implants, burns and pressure therapy masks and wound and scar management now benefit from more accurate designs and better finished results.

Recent purchases include a Baby Resuscitaire for the Accident and Emergency Department costing £9600 and a Belmont Rapid Infusion System costing £10,000 also for the Accident and Emergency Department.

The Friends provide patient packs which contain toiletries and sleepwear to patients who are admitted (sometimes unexpectedly) to Morriston Hospital without these items. At Christmas each patient and ward staff member is given a small gift which is distributed by the Friends on Christmas Eve.

Today the League continues to raise funds through an annual Golf Tournament and the receipt of kind donations. The Friends continue to have a happy working relationship with the Hospital Management Team, Doctors, Nursing Staff, all Wards and Departments within the hospital.