Current & Recent Activites
ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY
The Friends Garden Party for patients, visitors and volunteers will be on 22 August 2013 at 3pm. As before, entertainment will be provided by 'Music in Hospitals'. Strawberries and cake will be on offer.
FAMOUS FACES AT MILFORD HOSPITAL, June 1st 2013
Patients, staff and Friends joined members of the British Comedy Association to watch Paul Merton unveil a commemorative plaque to the comedy script writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Best known for the scripts for Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son, Galton and Simpson met as 18 year olds in Milford Hospital in 1948, both suffering from TB. A fellow patient was an electrician and radio enthusiast and installed 'Radio Milford' to every bed in the Sanatorium. Galton and Simpson started writing comedy scripts for it and their friendship and collaboration continued after they both left. Guests were treated to many recollections of their time in hospital during a question and answer session held after lunch at the Refectory, Milford. They both emphasised what a happy caring place it was, with the emphasis on being as much like home for the patients as their strict medical regimes would allow. Ray Galton was in the hospital for 4years, but other patients had even longer stays, some as long as 12 years or more.The Friends of Milford Hospital provided a display of photos, maps, plans and other items from the County TB Sanatorium and subsequent periods of the hospital's history, first as the Chest Hospital (merged on the Milford site with King George V) and since 1980, as an elderly rehabilitation unit and day centre.
COLLECTION AT SECRETT'S GARDEN CENTRE
Thank you to all those who contributed to our collection on April 11th. Inspite of poor weather, we collected a very useful £261.
AGM MARCH 22ND 2013
At this year's AGM, Friends heard that the League was in a satisfactory financial position. Amongst the gifts to the hospital in the past year had been electronic aids for the Speech and Language therapists, newspapers for the Occupational Therapists as part of their work getting patients accustomed to the outside world again, and a doubling of the amount of aromatherapy available to patients. The Chairman again appealed to those present to consider helping the hard stretched committee at fund raising events such as store collections and manning stalls at fairs.
The guest speaker was Bart Johnson, the CEO of Virgin Care. He praised the enthusiasm and commitment of the staff and the work of the League of Friends, saying that providing a more home like atmosphere in hospital was fundamental both to the rehabilitation of patients and to the ethos of Virgin Care. To that end, he had ensured that there were sufficient TVs in the hospital last summer for all patients to watch the national celebrations. Virgin Care aims to continually improve the level of care provided and the hospital experience of patients. His aim is that the level of care is what he would want for his own nearest and dearest. Virgin Care had also worked with NHS Surrey to invest in the infrastructure and substantial building repairs had been undertaken. He said that community hospitals were essential to keeping elderly patients out of acute hospitals. Quality and safety were of paramount concern and were under constant scrutiny at Board level. Although being part of the Virgin group had many advantages, it also was a great responsibility as should anything go wrong, not only was the future of Virgin Care at risk but also the reputation of the whole Virgin brand.
He expected that the demonstrable improvements in patient care and services delivered over the next 4 years would put Virgin Care in a strong position to re-gain the contract when it was next tendered. He thanked the League for giving him the opportunity to speak and looked forward to a long and productive relationship.
VILLAGE FAIRS
The League of Friends had a book stall at Milford Village Fete on Saturday June 8 and will also be at Witley Fair on June 22nd. This is a good opportunity to come and learn more about the work of the League. Thank you to all who helped us raise nearly £100 at Milford.
REFURBISHMENT OF GARDEN FURNITURE
The fixed bench seats in the courtyard garden have been replaced as in the photo above. All the free standing benches and tables will gradually be repaired and renovated