League of Friends providing vitalequipment for the Bexhill Hospital

The purchases will range from £6,900 for four 21-inch monitors for the diabetic eye screening programme at Bexhill to nearly £20,000 for an ultra-sound system to enable the establishment of a clinic at the hospital dealing, among other things, with urinary problems following traumatic childbirth.

A recent meeting of the charity’s general committee voted to share with the Conquest League the £12,352 cost of a patient hemodynamic monitor for the cardiac unit at the Conquest, which treats a high proportion of Bexhill patients.

Purchases for the Irvine Unit at Bexhill Hospital will include 96 new brightly-coloured stacking chairs for use by visitors; enhancing the gardens on either side of the unit for the enjoyment of patients and fencing the rear garden to improve security and provide a safe environment for dementia patients.

The meeting also took a decision in principle to support a partner charity in providing transport for Bexhill patients.

Among other functions, Bexhill Caring Community, uses its Dial-A-Ride bus to transport patients to and from the hospital. But the ageing vehicle is becoming costly to maintain.

League chairman Cllr Stuart Earl is also chairman of Bexhill Caring Community. Together with league treasurer Chris Ashford, who is also treasurer of the Caring Community, Cllr Earl withdrew from the meeting while the committee debated the matter.

The meeting gave authority to the League’s executive to obtain detailed costings from the Caring Community and, if they think fit, to spend up to £45,000 on the purchase of a new bus.

The vehicle, equipped with a powered tail-lift for wheelchairs and sign-written: “Provided by the League of Friends of Bexhill Hospital,” would remain in the ownership of the league but would be taxed, insured, maintained and operated by Bexhill Caring Community at BCC’s expense.

For more visit the League of Friends Facebook page.

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