Macmillan Cancer Support, NatWest and Boots UK give help to the cancer unit at Wexham Park Hospital

Thanks to the partnerships Macmillan Cancer Support has with NatWest and Boots UK, the Eden Ward at Wexham Park Hospital has received some extra care and attention from two enthusiastic teams of volunteers.

The garden, which was designed a couple of years ago, provides a welcome retreat for patients and their relatives. The area which is much appreciated is regularly tended to by staff and patients on gardening days organised by the Haematology Advanced Nurse practitioner. However, there were a number of more physical tasks needing to be done and the volunteers from NatWest stepped in and took on the challenge. Rollers and brushes in hand the team wasted no time applying coats of preservative to the extensive fencing, decking and pergolas, ensuring the wood would survive the predicted harsh weather of the coming winter. The woodwork now creates a superb backdrop to the shrubs and plants which the ex-patients and ward staff have nurtured throughout the year.

NatWest volunteers in the Eden Unit garden

A week later a team of equally committed volunteers from Boots UK picked up a decorating challenge on the ward. Some members of the team flew down from Scotland the previous evening and met with more local colleagues at 7am ready to start work redecorating the reception area, the day room and the nurses’ office. The team worked tirelessly and by mid afternoon their work was complete and each area had been transformed, helping to create a tranquil and welcoming environment for patients, visitors and staff.

Jane Depledge, Lead Cancer Nurse for the Trust, thanked the corporate volunteer teams on behalf of the patients and staff on Eden. She said, "We are very grateful to Macmillan Cancer Support for answering our call for help in maintaining our lovely garden and refreshing the decor of the ward - particularly the patient sitting room. We are extremely grateful to the enthusiastic teams who approached their work with passion and care.”

“Collaboration with Macmillan has also brought other benefits which include the forthcoming refurbishment of the old flower shop at the entrance to the Wexham Park Hospital which will become a cancer information and support centre, a much needed resource for the Trust. The new centre is expected to be complete in the New Year and will be managed by a Macmillan funded cancer information and support nurse who has recently been appointed.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides medical, surgical and outpatient services to a large and diverse population of over 450,000, and employs approximately 3,200 members of staff

• The Trust has one of the best survival rates in the NHS, a measure widely regarded as an indicator of clinical excellence overall. During 2009/10, they were better than expected (CHKS Risk Adjusted Mortality Index), given the nature and complexity of the cases we treat

• The Trust records an average of 944 compliments per month, compared to an average of 33 complaints per month

• We continue to treat patients with privacy and dignity, having not breached the rules of mixed-sex accommodation for at least 10 months in September 2011

• Infection rates continue to be some of the lowest in the region, as we perform well within the targets set for 2010/11 for both CDAD and MRSA

Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK

Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK are working together to improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer. Through the partnership, we will deliver more ways to access information about living with cancer on the high street, in local communities and online and increase awareness of the breadth of vital services that Macmillan provides.

The RBS Group

NatWest is part of the RBS Group. The RBS Group is a large international banking and financial services company. Headquartered in Edinburgh, the Group operates in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Americas and Asia, serving over 30 million customers. The Group provides a wide range of products and services to personal, commercial and large corporate and institutional customers through its two principal subsidiaries, The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest, as well as through a number of other well-known brands including, Citizens, Charter One, Ulster Bank, Coutts, Direct Line and Churc