Three cheers for the pupils at Neroche (From Yeovil Express)

Three cheers for the pupils at Neroche

4:00pm Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News

PUPILS at Neroche Primary School have been congratulated and thanked for their fundraising efforts on behalf of the Intensive Therapy Unit at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

The News last week covered the presentation of a cheque for £890 from the school to the unit – the money was raised in a giant fun run involving pupils.

Now staff at Musgrove have said the money will be used to renovate the relatives’ room on the ward.

Kath Robinson, lead nurse on ITU, said: “The relatives and friends of our patients go through a very emotional and stressful time. They often have to wait for long periods of time while we care for patients, so our relatives’ room provides a restful area to wait or just take a break in.

“The money so kindly raised for us will go towards making this a more comfortable place to be and will have new furniture, soft furnishings and plants. “We are also investing in a new television, extending the Wi-Fi to cover this area and buying things to help keep relatives of all ages occupied.”

Members of the ITU visited the school last week to talk about how the money will be spent and to show pupils images of the room before the renovation work.

Staff nurse Olivia Archer said: “I am really pleased that we are able to renovate our relatives’ area.

“I think it will be really comforting for families and carers of patients in ITU to have an area to retreat to inside the unit so they can have a break from the emotional stress of having a relative in ITU or HDU, while still being close enough to have the freedom to visit their relative when they feel able to.”

Renovation of the relatives’ room is set to start at the end of February.

The children organised a fun run to raise money for the ITU following the death of a pupil’s parent who was treated on the unit last year.