WELL-BEING Hubs have been created at Basildon, Broomfield and Southend Hospitals, offering Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust staff a quiet and comfortable space to relax and reflect in their breaks from their demanding work during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The newly developed spaces across all three hospitals give access to refreshments and information about support and counselling. They’re available to all hospital staff and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The areas have been a huge undertaking and have only been made possible thanks to the hard work of estates staff from across the three sites, turning the spaces around in a matter of days.
Fixtures and fittings have been kindly donated by local companies or paid for by donations from the public. These have transformed the areas and given a huge morale boost to the staff using them.
One of those already benefitting from the new facilities is Gavin Wright, Consultant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist.
He said: “The new Wellbeing Hub is an excellent idea for staff. The space provides an environment which is very open for discussion and gives staff the opportunity to wind down during peak periods.”
In Basildon, the Hub consists of two small lounge spaces and a television. Two coffee machines and a purpose built temporary kitchen was also installed and donated by Hornchurch-based construction company ELM sites services.
This means staff can have hot drinks and microwave a meal. The area is also being stocked with food and drink through generous donations from the public. In Mid Essex there are rest areas, a shower and also a kitchen area for refreshments.
Southend’s is another relaxing space, complete with its own specially created mural, by local artist Danny Bench, from South Woodham Ferrers. He said: “It was such a privilege to be able to paint this for everyone connected to the NHS. Giving up my time to do this is nothing compared to the amazing work they are doing for this country at the moment.”
The structure of the temporary hub in Southend was created by Maldon Building Services in just two days, donating both labour and materials.
Lucy Thomas-Clayton, Director of Charities and Voluntary Services at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to all the individuals and companies who have contributed their time, talent or physical donations of money or goods to this amazing project for our staff.
“I couldn’t be more delighted about how stunning it looks and how quickly it has come together across our three hospitals. It will genuinely mean the world to our staff and be the perfect escape during this extremely stressful time.”
