Charities bring Christmas cheer to NHS patients

Patients at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have been enjoying Christmas delights and wonder, from carol concerts to toys and food for staff and patients.

It is impossible to think of Christmas without Christmas lunch, and our catering teams at all our hospitals have pulled together in a mammoth effort to provide festive food to patients and staff, including thousands of free meals thanks to the generosity of our charities. In total so far the team at Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Evelina London hospitals alone have served a staggering:

• 630kg of turkey
• 750kg of roast potatoes
• 420kg of Brussels sprouts
• 800 litres of gravy

Taken together, the collective weight of the Christmas food provided by staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals would weigh over 3 tonnes, the same as an adult hippopotamus. On top of this, over 1,200 Christmas meals have already been served by our catering teams at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals.

Robert Cormack, general manager for catering central services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said:

“Christmas is a time to celebrate the spirit of gratitude and togetherness across our Trust, and what better way to share that than through food.

“This festive season gives us the opportunity to say thank you and show appreciation to everyone — from the volunteers who help serve meals, to the charities that enable us to provide free meals for patients and staff, and to our incredible staff who keep everything running. Their dedication and support make a real difference, and we are truly grateful.”

It’s not just food that’s been getting people in the Christmas spirit either. A visit from over 100 patients and staff to Winter Wonderland kicked off the festive cheer earlier this month, with all attendees able to enjoy the rides and games free of charge as part of the Winter Wishes initiative. As well as this, children at Evelina London Children’s Hospital enjoyed beautiful carols sung by St Martin’s Voices who perform regularly at St Martin-in-the-Fields and took part in some wonderful craft activities thanks to the Lambeth Palace events team. The choir also paid a special visit to the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit so that children and their families who were too unwell to leave their beds could also enjoy some festive cheer.

Christmas has also turned the Trust into a glittering wonderland thanks in part to beautifully decorated trees funded by Guy’s & St Thomas’ and Brompton Fountain charities. These have provided a merry backdrop to meals, visits and other events taking place across Trust sites throughout the month.

Young patients at Evelina London Children’s Hospital were treated to a virtual visit from Santa thanks to the elves at Cisco. Throughout December, the grotto in the atrium at Evelina London Children’s Hospital has been a hub of festive gift-giving. We’re grateful to all the organisations and individuals who have donated money towards the Evelina London play fund or have donated brand new toys for children who are in hospital over the Christmas period.

To say thank you to the staff across all sites that work so hard to keep patients happy and healthy during the Christmas period, hundreds of presents and thank you cards have been handed out to staff at Trust sites, with patients who need to stay on wards over the Christmas period receiving gifts and hampers on behalf of the hospital charities. 

Finally, to say thank you to the staff across all sites who work so hard to keep patients happy and healthy during the Christmas period, our charities have delivered thank you cards, meal vouchers and treats to staff areas and funded meals for those working on Christmas Day.

All of the presents, experiences, food and trees have been made possible thanks to the generous support from Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Children’s Charity, Guy’s Cancer Charity, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity and Brompton Fountain.