Getting ready for Christmas across our hospitals

The Oxford Hospitals Charity team is getting ready to bring some Christmas cheer to our hospitals in Oxford and Banbury.

Christmas trees will be put up at our four hospital sites - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury - and the charity is once again supporting the Decorate Your Ward competition for staff.

Oxford Hospitals Charity also runs a special Give a Gift appeal, which raises funds to make sure patients, young and old, who are in our hospitals over the festive period all get a little treat.

This fundraising appeal ensures that children in hospital (and their siblings) are given gifts to suit their age and abilities, chosen especially by our Play Specialist team.

Adults and older patients can also receive a gift bag, which includes a Christmas card from local school children, some useful toiletries, a few festive goodies and activities such as word searches and doodle sketchbooks.

The appeal also helps fund some staff room treats to thank those working in our hospitals.

Deputy Sister in Critical Care, Sarah Walker, has also been the face of the charity's postal appeal, sharing her story of working in the hospitals at Christmas time and also the experience of her son, Josh, spending time in the Children's Hospital for emergency surgery.

The charity team is now working with the local business community and volunteers to pack the 1,500 gift bags to be delivered to wards and departments across the Trust in readiness for Christmas week.

A special thank you to Bouygues, Bicester Village, Bidwells and Airbus Helicopters for their support of the appeal and for helping with the packing efforts.

Visit the Oxford Hospitals Charity website for more information.