Christmas is rapidly approaching and over the coming days Blackpool Teaching Hospitals is aiming to help as many patients as possible to get safely home in time for Christmas or sooner.
The Trust is calling on families and friends of loved ones in hospital to help us and play a part in supporting our ‘Home for Christmas’ campaign. Watch each day as we talk to services across the trust about how they get patients Home for Christmas and how we keep people home through our community teams.
Many of the patients in our hospitals are sadly too ill to be allowed home for the festivities this year. We appreciate how difficult it will be for you to be apart from them during the festive period and we promise we will do all we can to support them, and uplift their spirts, making them feel part of our family at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals. For more on how you can stay connected during this period please see these Frequently asked questions
- Toiletries
- Pyjamas or supportive slippers
- Clothes (that are easy to put on)
- Puzzle books and pens
- Books and magazines
- Non-perishable food such as biscuits, sweets or chocolates in tins or sealed bags
- Letters, cards and photographs.
- Homemade or hot food.
- Valuables such as jewellery (any belongings brought in will not be the responsibility of the hospital).
- Sharps such as scissors / needles.
- Flowers or plants.
- Balloons
- Christmas decorations.
- Alcohol or illicit drugs.
Patient drop off information:
Blackpool Victoria Hospital, main entrance reception desk, 9.30-4pm. It will be closed on the weekends and the 25 and 28 December. Please contact the ward directly when the desk is not open.
Clifton Hospital, main entrance reception desk (to the left as you walk in), 8.00am - 8pm. It will be closed on the weekends and the 25 December.
As Christmas approaches, and in light of our visiting restrictions we appreciate people may wish to bring in their loved ones gifts that they can open on Christmas Day. At both of our hospitals, relatives or friends of patients have the opportunity to make a single Christmas drop-off, of items for their loved ones by close of play 21 December at the locations above.
When you’re ready to drop off your gift, ensure that you seal it in a disposable bag, no larger than a supermarket carrier bag. The bag should be labelled with the patient’s name, date of birth and ward. Belongings must be brought in by an unaccompanied adult. Please do not drop off gifts if you or anyone in your household or support bubble has symptoms of COVID-19; or if you have been advised to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace service.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to tell you the bag has been received and cannot accept liability for this service. Unlabelled bags and property that do not reach the patient will be taken to our lost property.
Some guidance on what can be brought in is below:
Please do not bring in:
Staying in touch
Even though you can’t visit your loved ones in person during their stay in hospital, we do have a range of other ways for you to stay connected to provide them with much-needed support in this festive period.
Use of mobile devices
Understandably, there has been an increase in calls to our wards and you may struggle to get through at times. Patients are able to use personal devices to stay in touch with family and friends such as their phones or tablets. Mobile reception is good across our sites and free Wi-Fi is available to everyone in our hospitals enabling the use of chat apps like iMessage and WhatsApp, and video calls such as Skype, Facetime or Zoom. Please ask a member of staff for the WIFI details.
We know it’s not always possible to get a loved one to use their device, so each ward does have a mobile phone and iPad that enable patients to video call a nominated relative with the help of our ward staff.
To make use of this service please call the ward they are staying on for further information.
Calling the ward
If you do need to telephone the ward for an update, please nominate a single family member to make the call. This will prevent long wait times for other patients and their families wishing to make calls. The ward contact details can be found here.
Give a Gift
Every year we have patients in the hospital who can't be at home with their family. Over the years our Charity Blue Skies Elves work tirelessly to make sure each patient has a gift on Christmas morning, and we can't do that without your support.
Cash donations are welcome here. No matter the amount it will help us give a gift to someone in Hospital on Christmas morning.
Thank you to everyone who has already supported the campaign.
Christmas Cracker Nominees
Tree of Thanks Messages
