CRAFTERS in Teesdale keen to help support frontline workers in the NHS have been creating a variety of items to help patients and staff at the Richardson Hospital, in Barnard Castle.
More beds have been opened up at the community hospital to ease pressure on hospitals such as Darlington Memorial, which now has an emergency department to deal with Covid-19.
Iris Hillery, honorary secretary of the Friends of Richardson Hospital (FORH), said: “During the current crisis we are receiving enquiries about what people could do to help with offers of sewing scrubs and things like that.
“We have asked the hospital teams what would be useful and have already started to receive lots of donations. I think people do just want to help and keep busy at the same time.”
She added staff on the ward at the Richardson Hospital are currently wearing their normal uniforms, so do not need additional equipment at present.
She added: “District teams would find headbands with buttons for masks very useful and also drawstring laundry bags for putting uniforms into the washing machine.
“I have established that for knitters, sets of matching hearts may be supplied in pairs. It is important to use clean yarn and seal them in a taped bag, such as a freezer bag.
“The bags should be dated as they will be kept for 72 hours before removing the knitted hearts. Should a patient sadly die in hospital when visitors are not allowed, one heart stays with the deceased and the other sent to family as a memento.”
The idea was primarily identified for acute hospitals, but the Richardson can accept and pass them on.
Finished items can be delivered to 59b Galgate, in Barnard Castle, or to the Tees’pot cafe in Middleton-in-Teesdale during their takeaway opening hours.
Patterns and ideas of what to make are available on the FORH social media page at www.facebook.com/RichardsonFriends/
