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Why the Urology Robot needs replacing

The major project for 2022 is to raise £500K towards a replacement robot for Urology. This requirement has raised questions, given the million-pound fundraising target of 2015 to install the original one. The reason the replacement is required is simply the success of the first robot. After years of continuous use and successful treatment of hundreds of patients, the old machine is breaking down beyond repair. Replacing this machine ensures that Eastbourne, a regional centre for Urology cancer, remains at the forefront of Urology Surgery and that our patients experience gold standard care with faster recovery times and reduced lengths of hospital stay. Additionally, the robot provides excellent opportunities for training so attracts future robotic surgeons to Eastbourne. It is therefore vital that we raise the funds to keep Urology working to the standard the first robot facilitated.

£400k target reached for 2023 Major Project

After a year of fundraising and enormous support from members and the community as a whole, the Friends were proud to announce that they had completed their 2023 Major Project, to provide £400k of equipment to the new cardiac catheter labs at the DGH. An opening ceremony was held to celebrate the installation of the […]

Bronchoscope donation to aid faster diagnosis of lung cancers

We visited a very happy Respiratory Medicine team who were so pleased to show us the bronchoscope we had purchased for the department following their successful bid to the Friends. Additional equipment was considered essential in order to increase the number of diagnostic procedures which consultants could perform for patients on the lung cancer pathway. […]

The Friends donate £10k towards Staff Restaurant and Coffee Shop

The Friends of Eastbourne Hospital received a lovely invitation from the Building for our Future Team to visit the Staff Restaurant and Coffee Shop as a thank you for the funding the Friends had provided towards the areas’ refurbishment. Following a successful bid from the Building for our Future team, the Friends contributed £10,000 to […]

Equipping the OT Assessment Kitchen

The excitement with which the Occupational Therapy team talk about their new assessment kitchen, and the patient assessment items which the Friends have funded within it, is incredibly infectious. The Friends of Eastbourne Hospital, who donated £4,500 towards improvements and equipment in response to a bid from the OT Department, were invited to see what […]

The Friends meet 2022 Fundraising Target

In 2021 it was announced that the Friends Major Project for the following year would be to raise £500k towards a replacement Da Vinci Robot for the Urology department at the DGH. The previous Robot, purchased by the Friends in 2015, had revolutionised the treatment of so many patients but, after daily use for seven […]

FoEH AGM 2022

There was not a spare seat in the house at the Friends of Eastbourne Hospital’s AGM, held at Victoria Baptist Church, on November 23rd. A warm welcome to everyone in the room by outgoing President Dr Peter Nash was followed by Dr Harry Walmsley’s Chair’s Report, in which we were reminded of the aims and […]

Team Hoodies for Berwick Ward

Teamwork is at the heart of the hospital, and the Friends were delighted to fulfil a request from Berwick Ward to use a donation left to them in lieu of flowers to purchase 21 team hoodies for the staff. Specifically, they wanted the personalised hoodies to wear to and from work as it makes everyone […]

Friends purchase manikin for Moving & Handling

A vital element of training within the DGH is the safe movement of patients. The Friends of Eastbourne Hospital recently made a donation to the Moving & Handling team to purchase a new, 50kg Manikin for training purposes. Catherine Broadbent, Moving and Handling Advisor, acknowledged the donation with grateful thanks, and explained why this equipment […]

Friends purchase PCR testing machine

Submitted to the Friends against the backdrop of the rising Omicron cases in December, an urgent bid for the purchase of an additional machine for PCR testing in Microbiology was submitted and subsequently approved. The main Microbiology lab, containing the molecular pathology lab, is in Eastbourne, and constantly under pressure to turn around rising Covid-19 […]

Digital DR X-Ray Room installed

As their major project of 2020 the Friends of Eastbourne Hospital committed to fundraising £430,000 to modernise the radiology facilities at the DGH and make the department digital. Despite a year in which fundraising was much reduced, the target was achieved and the donated equipment is now successfully installed and fully operational. Karen Betts, Clinical […]

Christmas Donations to Wards

Each year the Friends make Christmas donations to the wards which are working on Christmas Day, for use at each ward’s own discretion. These donations regularly go towards gifts for patients, ward decorations, staff and patient wellbeing, or festive food and drink to keep Christmas spirits up on the day. We received this feedback from […]

AGM Award

In the face of sometimes incredible adversity, Sue Hitchen and her terrific team of shop staff and volunteers have continued to steer a very steady ship through all the troubles. The tenacity and dedication of the shop staff and volunteers were recognised at the Friends’ AGM, with Tim Cobb, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Sussex presenting […]