Friends of Eastbourne Hospital support during lockdown

The Friends of Eastbourne Hospital kindly supported Heads On by providing funding for inpatient equipment and resources for the Department of Psychiatry (DoP) during the Covid-19 lockdown. The DoP is situated on the site of Eastbourne District General Hospital, and has three wards; one for women, one for men and a dedicated older adult ward. When the lockdown first came into place, visiting was stopped, leave from the hospital was suspended and outside professionals were unable to enter the building to run groups and activities.

Using funding from the Friends, Heads On purchased electrical equipment which included 20 Amazon Fire tablets, so that patients could keep in touch with loved ones whilst visiting was paused. Personal DVD players, MP3 players and radios were also bought to alleviate boredom and keep patients connected with the outside world. Other items, such as arts and crafts resources, board games and quiz books were also sent to the DoP.

"The equipment that has been supplied has all been a fantastic addiction to the ward in terms of activities" said Ward Manager Heather. "Staff have been running quiz groups and games sessions on a daily basis, so it's difficult to even estimate how many have benefited from this. We have a quick turn over of patients and in all this has made their stay in hospital just that little more enjoyable".

It is with thanks to Friends of Eastbourne Hospital that we were able to order this quantity of resources for the Department of Psychiatry. This has been vital to ensure that the effects of lockdown and social distancing, such as loneliness and boredom, have been minimised where possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!