Older patients mark Remembrance Sunday at the RUH

Patients on a dedicated ward for older people at Bath's Royal United Hospital marked Remembrance Sunday with their own special ceremony, knitted personal poppies - and a visit from the Army.

Staff on Waterhouse ward came up with the idea because it was felt their patients might find it difficult to attend the hospital's official Remembrance service, which took place in the main atrium entrance area at 11am on Sunday.

Senior Sister Niki Hartley said: "Most of our patients are of the age when they may have served in the armed forces, or had family who did, and who certainly remember and were affected by past wars.

"So we held our own Remembrance service on the ward. We baked cakes, knitted poppies for each of our 24 patients, and our hospital musician in residence Frankie Simpkins was in 1940s period costume entertaining everyone with wartime songs and memories. We're really grateful that an Army Brigadier in uniform was also able to attend and engage with our patients."

Waterhouse is a general ward for the care of older people and more specifically patients with Parkinson's disease and movement disorders. It was renovated in 2015 to become a dementia-friendly environment and in 2017 gained the Trust's Gold Dementia Award. Waterhouse has also achieved an external Quality Charter Mark awarded by the Royal College of Psychiatrists which recognises their hard work providing a safe supportive environment for older adults.

The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing outstanding dementia care and aims to become the leading dementia-friendly hospital in England by 2020.

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 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, chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, cancer related fatigue and fatigue linked to other long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust has opened the purpose-built RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre and is now working towards the new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future
• For more information about the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk

Download printable version