Commu-knitty Christmas spirit for RUH Bath babies

Volunteer knitters have really entered into the Christmas spirit at the RUH Bath Birthing Centre.

As well as donating thousands of white and colour-coded baby bobble hats, some people have even sent us festive-themed versions as well.

One inventive knitter made festive green bobble hats covered with decorative patterns and a Merry Christmas message stitched on the front. Others have sent us tiny ornamental hats that have been used to decorate the Christmas tree in the ante and postnatal Mary Ward’s day room.

Rachel Coleman, Practice Development Sister, said: “We’d like to say thank you to everyone who’s sent us these Christmassy hats – people are so clever and imaginative. It’s really helped to brighten up the ward.”

After Christmas though the Birthing Centre is asking people to continue knitting plain bobble hats with green, amber and red pom-poms for newborn babies there and at our community birthing centres, which are used to help ensure that babies receive the individual care they need.

There’s been an amazingly generous response to our appeal. Since October we’ve been send approximately ten thousand.

Knitters aged from 9 to 94 have got involved with hats being sent from 159 different locations and from countries including America, Portugal, Spain, Hawaii, the UK and Ireland. The maternity team is keeping track of every parcel they receive by adding it to mapcustomizer.com.

But with 5,000 babies a year being born at the RUH there’s a never-ending demand for knitting aid.

Rachel said: “We have been overwhelmed by the number of people from around the world who’ve taken the time to get knitting. The response has been incredible – every spare space we had is now filled with bags of hats. We can’t reply to everyone personally, but a big thank you to everyone who’s sent us hats.

“Babies will still receive traditional midwifery care, but this is an extra visual aid. A green bobble means your baby is term, warm and feeding well. Amber indicates a baby needs a little more help with feeding and keeping warm. Red indicates a baby will have regular observations by a nurse or midwife. The hats will make a real difference in further improving the quality of care we provide and we are extremely grateful for every hat donated.”

If you would like to join the knitting brigade, you can follow the pattern and send your hats to The Bath Birthing Centre, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Combe Park, Bath BA1 3NG.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain and chronic fatigue syndrome/ME.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust is now working towards building a purpose built RNHRD and Therapies Centre and a new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future

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