Fourth house to be renovated for future Telford hospital workers
Another house will be renovated for medical staff working at the trust that runs Shropshire's two acute hospitals.
The latest renovation of a fourth house comes after three councils in Telford & Wrekin pledged a further £11,000 between them to be added to the £20,000 already donated from other parish councils and members of the public.
Three houses are currently being renovated, and following the latest £5,000 donations from Oakengates Town Council and St Georges and Priorslee Parish Council and £1.000 from Dawley Hamlets Parish Council, work on a fourth can get underway.
The fourth house will be able to accommodate four people and will be made available to doctors, nurses and clinical staff.
The houses currently under development have so far been stripped of their old furniture and carpets to make way for a full refurbishment, including new kitchens, bathrooms and communal lounge areas.
Once they are completed, they will be made available for junior doctors for free, as an incentive for them to join The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).
The scheme was launched two months ago following an appeal from Telford & Wrekin Council Leader, councillor Shaun Davies.
Councillor Davies called on businesses for help to refurbish three houses to help recruit more junior and middle tier doctors to SaTH.
In order to help refurbish the houses, donations for white goods will now be sought from local businesses by Telford & Wrekin Council.
Councillor Davies said: “When complete, these houses will provide free accommodation to the junior and middle grade doctors our A&E so desperately needs. This will help with recruitment and SaTH will be the only hospital trust in England to provide such on site accommodation for free.
Thank
"This is a big project which has been backed by the community. I would like to thank those who have helped so far as it has made a difference in trying to keep our A&E open. Any parish councils or organisations willing to help should still get in touch.”
Dr Reuel Heng, Junior Doctors’ President at SaTH, said: “Our community here has been amazing in volunteering their time to help us bring this project to fruition. This hospital accommodation renewal provides new impetus towards fostering a sense of community within junior doctors, especially those just starting out in SATH.
"Lack of community has been shown as one of the six factors resulting in burnout; and junior doctors in the future will have the option to live on-site, forming a close knit community and support network with other juniors which helps them adapt and settle into this new environment, ultimately translating into even better provision of care for our patients here at Princess Royal Hospital.”
Dr Jenni Rowlands, Director of Post Graduate Medical Education at SaTH, said: “We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s support on this project from the people who have donated £50 to those who have donated £5,000 – it will all help to make a fantastic difference. To be able to complete a fourth house is beyond what we ever expected.
“This is a project that we could never have undertaken on our own as we have to prioritise our capital funds for essential items of equipment that need to be bought.
“Our junior doctors have said the support of the community has been amazing and they were out last week taking tea and biscuits to the fabulous team of volunteers who joined us to start the work on the refurbishing the houses. It has been a real community effort.”
A £5,000 donation has already been received from Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council. Great Dawley Town Council has also given £5,000 and Wellington Town Council has donated £4,800. Wrockwardine Wood and Trench Parish Council, and Newport Town Council, have also donated £2,500. Pledges of help and donations have also come from the community and businesses including Revive, TWS, Limetree Nurseries, Denso, Wrekin Housing, Mitre and WSP.
