The League of the Friends of Pembury Hospital

Welcome to the Fourteenth newsletter of The League of the Friends of Pembury Hospital. This is published regularly to update our existing members and to attract new members. If you would like more information about the League or matters in this newsletter, please contact Alan Davis, Honorary Secretary, by email. An enrolment form can be found here if you wish to join the League.

Letter from the Chairman

Since our last newsletter, we have received the wonderful news that the government have approved the building of a new single site hospital for Tunbridge Wells.

It will be some time, however, before the new hospital becomes a reality, and it is unlikely that building work will commence before the summer of 2003. In the meantime, we will continue to support Pembury Hospital with all our usual commitment.

Our Annual General Meeting takes place on 24 April 2001, and in my Annual Report, I noted another year of achievement. In the year 2000 we donated over £88,000 to the hospital including £45,000 from the Howell fund on cancer related projects.

We have introduced new members on to our decision making Council, each of whom have brought fresh ideas and enthusiasm to add to our experience. We have conducted a drive for new members, which is ongoing, and I am confident that this will prove to be worthwhile, and in any event, will give us increased publicity and general public awareness of our activities. Looking ahead, plans are well advanced for our Annual Fete, which this year takes place on Saturday, 25 August, starting at 1.00 pm. Please put this date in your diaries, and I hope to see as many of you there as possible.

As always, I will be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to assist us with our activities—giving something back to Pembury Hospital is very rewarding and a lot of fun.

Gary Purdy

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Summer Fete 2001

The primary object of the League is to raise money to support patients and staff at Pembury Hospital.

On Saturday 25 August at 1.00 pm, the League will hold its Summer Fete, the major fund raising event of the year. We hope to see you there.

The Fete project this year may be a ventilator for the Neonatal Unit, but more details are awaited before a final decision is made. Look out for our collection boxes outside major stores throughout the summer months. Last summer these collections raised around £4,000 a very substantial contribution to the Fete, and act as an insurance should Fete day be wet.

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New Ophthalmology Department opens

The new Opthalmology Department opened on 15 January this year.

It includes a new operating theatre for eye operations—mainly cataract renewals. This increases the number of specialist operating theatres at Pembury to three.

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Hospital Redevelopment

Details of the new 450 bed hospital at Pembury are scarce so far.

We understand that the new buildings may be located below the central road, and the existing 1938 wartime wards will be demolished. The Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are supporting this build on the existing 'footprint' at Pembury, as this will form a 'brown site' development, and thus be easier to obtain planning permission, unlike a build on a 'green site'. The Trust is engaging a planning team to determine the details, but we are advised that the Fete will not be affected this year.

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League funds new defibrillators

Items recently funded by the League were two more external defibrillators.

These units will be stored in cabinets at strategic locations around the spread out Pembury Hospital site. There will now be three such units available for immediate use by crash teams in the case of a heart seizure anywhere outside wards or treatment areas. Those who know how hilly and bumpy this site is can imagine how slow trundling the in-ward trolleys around could be. The three units will total £10,700. Two lives have been saved at Kent & Sussex Hospital using external defibrillators, and if only one life is saved at Pembury, the cost will have been worth it.

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