New treatment room opens in Ocean Suite thanks to Plymouth Lions Club
A legacy donation from Plymouth Lions Club has provided the Ocean Suite at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) with a new and improved room dedicated to treating pregnant women with Hyperemesis.
Lions Club members Reuben and Marie Heathershaw both left donations in their wills and their proud daughter Lynn Wood helped to officially open the new refurbished space. “Mum and Dad would have absolutely loved this,” she says. “They fundraised for Plymouth throughout their lives and wanted the money they left to be used within the city to help people.”
Previously the room wasn’t very inviting with nothing to distract patients who often spend hours receiving fluids with some needing to attend multiple times a week. The new room provides a much more relaxing atmosphere painted in soft colours, with reclining chairs, paintings by a local artist and thoughtful touches like an ice machine. The ideas about what was needed in the room were taken from patient feedback and input from staff.
“Patients often cannot even keep fluids down and can only tolerate sucking on ice,” explains Becky Osborne Junior Sister at the Ocean Suite.. “We hope that this new suite will help make the experience of receiving treatment much more pleasant for our patients.”
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy affect up to 94% of pregnancies to some degree. At the severe end of the spectrum is Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG); persistent and excessive nausea that affects about 3% of people with pregnancy sickness.
Approximately 30,000 pregnancies in the UK experience HG and it can be completely debilitating for sufferers, leaving some unable to work or even bedridden. Unlike morning sickness, HG causes sickness and nausea all day, sometimes lasting the duration of the pregnancy. HG can be 'dry', meaning that there is no vomiting, but the other symptoms are so severe, especially nausea, that food and fluid intake are disrupted, ultimately leading to dehydration and malnutrition. Without prompt treatment it can have a negative impact on maternal mental health.
“Many women with HG will need IV rehydration and can find themselves regularly going back and forth between home and hospital,” explains Claire O’Donnell, Ward Manager for Gynaecology Inpatient Services. “It can be incapacitating especially if they end up having to stay overnight. When the Lions contacted us saying they had a sum of money to donate to Women’s Health we knew exactly where we could use it.”
And this is how the newest addition to the Ocean Suite at UHP came about. “With this space we can manage patients on a day case pathway which prevents admissions”,” says Claire. “Ultimately this is much better for everyone involved.”
Jamie Lee, Fundraising Manager at Plymouth Hospitals Charity, said: “We are hugely grateful to the Plymouth Lions Club, and to the family of Reuben and Marie for making this possible. It’s a beautiful and long-lasting way to honour their memory.”
Lions President, Jill Owen, says: “We thought it was a great idea. We always want to provide something tangible rather than just give a lump sum. We love a project like this, where we can see the results.”
