Thank you Chester Childbirth Appeal

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, with Pat in 2006 Michael Owen, with Pat, opens the teenagers’ unit in 2008 Louise Owen, with Pat, opens the refurbished Comfort Zone café

CHESTER CHILDBIRTH APPEAL: THANK YOU

The Chester Childbirth Appeal (CCA) has left the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Women’s and Children’s Building after supporting babies, families and staff at the Trust for more than 30 years.

The charity has successfully funded many improvements to Countess services, including purpose-built family accommodation on the old neonatal unit, a major donation for the Countess Charity’s Babygrow Appeal for the new neonatal unit and a waterbirth suite and bereavement accommodation on the maternity unit. Former midwife Mrs Patricia Daniels MBE founded the charity in 1991 shortly after retiring from the NHS. Her continued efforts for patients, families and staff made her an extremely popular figure at the hospital and in the local community. Dr Susan Gilby, Chief Executive at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said: “Pat is a remarkable lady. Having spent her working life caring for families in Chester she has then spent the next 30 years tirelessly campaigning for and delivering significant improvements for this hospital. As a community we are incredibly lucky to have benefitted from this tireless compassion and steadfast commitment to patient care. This is, however, only the end of a chapter and we hope to continue working closely with the Chester Childbirth Appeal for many years to come.” From 2000 to March 2020 the CCA successfully managed the Comfort Zone café in the Women’s and Children’s Building. This café and shop served a host of homemade comfort foods, reading material and gifts for anyone visiting newborns for the first time. It was hugely popular with both hospital staff and families alike. Anne McGlade, Matron for Children’s Services, who has worked with Mrs Daniels for 25 years, said: “I am so appreciative of what Mrs Daniels has done for us in paediatrics and neonatal over the years, we would not have a lot of the facilities we do now without the childbirth trust donations and the hard work and tenacity of Pat. She is a and will always be a big part of what we do.”

The office areas being vacated by the CCA will be used to provide additional clinical space, enabling the Trust to see more outpatients whilst maintaining social distancing. Yvonne Griffiths, Neonatal Unit Manager, said: “Pat has supported the neonatal unit for many years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience within the maternity field. Pat always puts the family’s comforts first and strives to improve the facilities available for families. She has been integral in supporting parents throughout their neonatal journey and recognised the need for protected space for parents to relax but still able to be close to their baby. Through many charitable events at the beginning of the millennium she helped raise money for a purpose-built parent accommodation which is still utilised today by all the families.” Lesley Woodhead, Head of Fundraising, said: “Pat is an inspirational woman with so much energy and a can-do attitude to constantly improving facilities for our patients and their families. She should be very proud of all that she has achieved. Thank you, Pat, for all that you have done to make a difference every day to people working and being cared for at the Countess. Pat is famous throughout Chester for all she does and her 90th birthday will always be remembered. She has so many guests she needed two boats for the river cruise. She went down the river on one, made a very tricky swap over mid river and came back to the mooring on another. Nothing stops Pat!” One of the CCA’s biggest highlights was former Liverpool striker Michael Owen famously visiting the hospital in 2008, having donated £212,000 for a teenagers’ unit. A CCA volunteer said: “For someone entering retirement to embark upon and sustain such successful fundraising efforts for the next 30 years is a truly remarkable achievement worthy of the utmost praise. Mrs Daniels and her team have made a huge difference for both patients and their families. The tireless commitment of her and her team deserves the heartfelt thanks of all those who benefited. All our good wishes are sent to Mrs Daniels for dedicating so many years to supporting others.“ Mrs Daniels, who still actively manages all the CCA’s fundraising activities, said: “During the past 20 years it has been a real honour to provide, through the Comfort Zone, a place of comfort, quiet and sustenance for parents, friends, staff, volunteers and patients. “Thanks to the endeavours of Chester Childbirth Appeal staff and volunteers, we have been delighted to raise more than £2million over the past 30 years, to support the hospital in the provision of medical equipment and premises along with multiple additional facilities to improve the patient journey and staff wellbeing.”

Mrs Patricia Daniels MBE