Nigel Fort gets blasted by Trust Director Nicky Ingham in aid of the Blue Skies Hospital Fund
Members of staff soaked a manager in the stocks to raise money for a hospital charity as part of a national awareness week.
Nigel Fort, Associate Director for Facilities for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, volunteered to go in the ‘stocks’ at Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s staff and visitors’ restaurant during Nutrition and Hydration Week from March 14 to 18. Staff raised money for the charity by paying to squirt Nigel with a water gun.
Nigel Fort before his soaking
Patients at Clifton Hospital met hostesses from ‘Funny Girls’ nightclub in Blackpool as part of the awareness week. Waitresses, Joanna and Ella, poured healthy cocktails at a Caribbean-themed party for patients.
Footballers from Fleetwood Town FC also visited patients at Clifton Hospital and chatted with them at a special tea party.
Speech and Language Therapy staff on the hospital’s Stroke Unit made nutritious and tasty fruit cocktails for patients with swallowing difficulties on Tuesday, March 15. They did the same for patients at Clifton Hospital on Wednesday, March 16. A tea party was also held at Clifton Hospital on Wednesday.
Throughout the week hospital executives and directors visited wards to serve lunches or be part of the worldwide event.
Nutrition and hydration awareness events were promoted in the hospital’s restaurant as well as staff and visitor quizzes on the colour of urine using a ‘pee chart’. Bottles of water were also handed out to visitors.
Prizes were awarded to staff who won competitions including Most Innovative Idea to Support Patient Hydration, Best Nutrition and Hydration Ward Display, Most Improved and Sustained use of Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Cake Bake Competition – Cupcake; Large Cake; Tray Bake/Biscuits.
The baking competition was judged by the Trust’s head chef, Paul Remnant and kitchen manager, Darren Cadwell.
Angie Ledgister came first with her Alice in Wonderland-themed cake and Anne Steele came second with her honeycomb cupcakes. Angie McKeane came third with her lemon drizzle cake and Jo Benson won fourth place with her rocky road bake.
Darren Cadwell said: “The effort that has gone into the cakes is fantastic.
“We’ve had a great turn-out and the quality has been superb.”
Staff members donated the cakes they had entered into the competition to be sold to raise money for patient care relating to nutrition and hydration.
Fleetwood Town players at Clifton Hospital
The Best Ward Display had joint winners – Ward 1 at Clifton Hospital and Ward 14 at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Highly Commended awards for Best Ward Display went to the Trust Library, Ward 3 at Clifton Hospital, Ward 4 at Clifton Hospital and Ward 37 at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Most Improved and Sustained use of MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) went to Ward 3 at Clifton Hospital.
The award for Most Innovative Idea to Support Patient Hydration went to the Trust’s Speech and Language Therapists.
The Trust’s Patient Experience volunteers visited wards to carry out a ‘patient spot audit’ on the subject of nutrition and hydration. This information will be sent to ward managers and matrons.
Cakes were delivered to wards at approximately 2pm on Wednesday, March 16. The Trust’s catering department supplied the cakes as part of a worldwide afternoon tea event.
Organisers devised a crossword and word search for patients to complete with visitors or staff.
The Patient Experience Team was on mezzanine at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on Tuesday and Thursday. They collected donations of tinned soup, cuppa soups, baked beans, tinned fruit, bags of dry pasta and rice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash potato, tinned meat, tinned sponge puddings, small cereal boxes, teabags, coffee sachets and UHT milk.
Helen Kay from the Patient Experience team and Bev Taylor from the Salvation Army
Blackpool Salvation Army made up food hampers, each containing meals for three days. These were given to patients in need who were being discharged from hospital.
Various information stands were set up on the mezzanine at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and raffle tickets were sold in aid of the Blue Skies Hospitals Fund. Prizes included vouchers for Nunzio’s Italian restaurant, Rico’s Italian restaurant, a Pleasure Beach family pass, gym passes, a prize from Merlin Entertainment, meat vouchers, afternoon tea and many more.
Below are the winners of the raffle:
| Winner
|
Prize | Ticket No. |
| Karen Flynn | The Big Ticket – Merlin Entertainment | 04027 |
| Jude Simmons-Jeffs | Blackpool Pleasure Beach | 00109 |
| Naomi Forbes | Afternoon Tea for 2 – Blackpool Hilton | 01345 |
| Albie (Paula Clarke) | Day Pass for 2 at Hilton Leisure Centre | 02381 |
| Dawn Burrows | Nunzios Italian Restaurant | 03164 |
| Hayley Blackburn | Nigel Wilkinson’s Butcher | 00381 |
| Christine Ballantyne (Visitor) | Yankee Candle | 01255 |
| Deborah (Aster Ward) | Free Month Fitness Membership Blackpool Council | 03110 |
| Carol Craner | Next Voucher | 00451 |
| Ali Smith | Day Pass for 2 at Hilton Leisure Centre | 02994 |
| Laura Collins | Ricos Italian Restaurant | 03540 |
| Tracy Manton | Team Crate Stack and Gladiator Challenge … | 03260 |
| Gemma (Physio Blp 105) | Dove Gift Set | 00346 |
| Richard Lebon | Debenhams Voucher | 00482 |
| Karen (Wd 3 Clifton) | 2 x Ice Cream Sundaes – Notarianni’s | 02823 |
| Malcolm Fairhurst (Vistor) | Nigel Wilkinson Butchers | 00040 |
| Sharon Ellis | Vue Cinema Voucher | 02446 |
| Elaine Hindle | Leisure & Pool Facilities for 2 Villages, The Hotel Club | 02411 |
| Mark Towers | Blackpool Football Club | 02928 |
The winners can pick up their prizes from Jo Benson in the First Floor Offices in the Main Entrance of Blackpool Victoria Hospital or call 01253 953359.
A total of £751 was raised from the Nutrition and Hydration Raffle and £67.43 was raised through the Cake Sale and Donations.