Mid Yorkshire is helping keep our communities warm this winter | News

Patients across Mid Yorkshire will once again benefit from supplies this winter, helping those most in need leave hospital with essential support during the colder months.

Delivered through a partnership between MY Hospitals Charity, the Integrated Transfer of Care (IToC) Hub and discharge teams, the packs contain a range of essentials including food products, warm clothing, blankets and toiletries.

Available for patients identified as needing additional support when discharged from hospital, these packs aim to support members of the community who may have limited financial resources, little social support, no heating at home, long-term health conditions, or who are experiencing homelessness.

Include within this year’s supplies is a free mobile phone and SIM card, for patients experiencing digital exclusion. The new offer provides free mobile phones and SIM cards to eligible individuals struggling to access follow-up health and care services upon discharge from hospital care.

Lyndsey Scaife, Head of Integrated Discharge at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said:

Leaving hospital can be a difficult time for patients who are worried about how they will manage at home during the winter months. These offers provide immediate practical support and can make a significant difference to someone's wellbeing during recovery. They are a simple but important way of helping vulnerable patients feel supported as they leave our care.

These items are available across Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury and District hospitals and have been funded through MY Hospitals Charity, alongside donations from colleagues and local supporters, with the mobile phones and SIM cards being supplied by Good Things Foundation National Databank.

Keith Ramsay, Trust Chair and Chairman of MY Hospitals Charity, said:

These supplies and donations demonstrate the power of partnership and community kindness. Every pack represents people coming together to support those facing difficult circumstances. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed to this initiative and helped ensure some of our most vulnerable patients receive the additional care and the reassurance they need.

Members of the public wishing to support the appeal can donate new winter essentials and long-life food items through MY Hospitals Charity Hub at Pinderfields Hospital.

For more information, visit: www.myhospitalscharity.org