Bradford business community to come together for our NHS hospitals

The practical and emotional impact on families who have a baby in hospital will be explored at a business event held by Bradford Hospitals’ Charity this month.  

Members of the charity’s 100 Club – as well as those who are interested in joining – will meet at Bradford Royal Infirmary on Thursday 16 March to hear about the impact Bradford Hospitals’ Charity is having on patient care across the city’s hospitals.

The 100 Club is a member organisation of businesses who wish to network while supporting their local NHS.

Bradford Hospitals’ Charity is the official NHS charity of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and funds projects which are over and above what is routinely provided by the NHS.

Guests will gather to hear from neonatal doctors and nurses about their work with poorly and pre-term babies. The clinicians will use the Trust’s simulation centre to demonstrate the care they give babies in the Neonatal Unit, some of whom are born as prematurely as 22 weeks.

They will also talk about the emotional and practical impact on parents and their families – many of whom struggle to care for siblings while their baby is in hospital for a long time.

Bradford Hospitals’ Charity Director Sharon Milner will update guests on the charity’s BIG Neonatal Appeal, which aims to fund extra accommodation for parents wishing to stay near their babies while they are in the Neonatal Unit. She will also share exciting news about collaboration work between the charity and the Trust’s Spiritual Pastoral and Religious Care Team.

Neonatal consultant Aishin Lok explained: “It’s incredibly difficult for parents who find themselves in this situation of having a baby in hospital. We always encourage them to be involved in the care of their babies while they are in our unit, but we have a limited number of bedrooms and it’s a tough decision for us to make when we must decide which parents use them.”

The Trust’s paediatric team will also showcase gaming karts funded by Bradford Hospitals’ Charity, which are used to relax and distract children and young people when they are receiving treatment at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Charity Director Sharon Milner said: “We are delighted to see the 100 Club membership grow. The donations and time businesses are giving to support our work means a lot to us. It also motivates staff to see such a groundswell of support from recognised businesses from across our region.”

The 100 Club already has a mix of members – from construction to IT companies, hospitality to printers – all with a shared ambition to see families from across Bradford and beyond receive a gold standard of hospital care.

The event on 16 March will see businesses mingle with clinicians as well as Trust executives. Food will be generously provided by 100 Club member, MyLahore.

Any businesses interested can find out more by calling the Bradford Hospitals’ Charity Team on 01274 274809 or by completing the form on our 100 Club page.