Hospital donation aims to cut stress for children

Former Goodyear factory workers have paid for a device to help reduce stress for children in hospital needing cannulas fitted by speeding up the process.

The handheld device, given to the New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, could help medics more quickly and accurately find veins for injections or blood work, the trust said.

Cyril Barrett, chair and trustee of the group of ex-workers, said he had seen first-hand the distress it could cause after his grandson needed a cannula fitting.

Abbie Wood, senior sister at the trust, said the device would make a huge difference to young patients' experience.

Cannulas are tubes inserted into a patient's veins to allow fluids and drugs to be given directly into the bloodstream by doctors and nurses.

Mr Barrett said he had not forgotten the anxiety his grandson went through and wanted to help others while supporting the "angels" who worked in the NHS.

"It was a long time ago but I've not forgotten it and know how upsetting it can be for the young patients as well as their families to witness," he said.

"This device will help reduce that distress and we're pleased to hand it over.

"We always said we wanted those of us who worked at Goodyear to leave a legacy. I can't emphasise enough how important that is to us."

Ms Wood said staff were very happy to receive the device which cost almost £5,000.

"We are so grateful for everything the Goodyear workers have done for us in paediatrics as well as across the wider trust," she added.

The tyre factory closed in 2016 and a benevolent fund was created out of what was the workers' sick pay fund.

Last summer the group - the 5/344 Transport and General Workers Union Benevolent Fund - said it had donated more than £3.4m from their sick pay fund to charities across the West Midlands.

In total the Goodyear workers have supported patients at Wolverhampton's New Cross and West Park Hospitals with almost £500,000 over the years, the trust said.

Donations included anaesthetic machines for theatres, wheelchair accessible exercise bikes for patients undergoing rehabilitation and rooms revamped for young cancer patients.

The fund also donated more than £50,000 for machines to help skin cancer patients in the Black Country.

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