New care bag scheme helps us support patients and families through unexpected hospital stays
Every day across Nottingham’s hospitals, patients and families arrive with little or no warning. An unexpected admission can mean long stays, overnight visits and anxious waiting, often without the chance to pack even the most basic essentials.
At Nottingham Hospitals Charity, we see first-hand just how overwhelming this can be and thanks to generous support, we’re now able to provide care bags across the hospital, offering practical, immediate support to patients and loved ones at a time when they need it most.
Our care bags are for people who arrive suddenly and nothing with them – whether that’s a patient admitted as an emergency, a parent staying overnight by their child’s bedside, or someone with no loved ones nearby to help. Inside are everyday essentials that can make a really difficult situation feel just a little more manageable during an incredibly stressful time.
Right now, we’re distributing care bags across all areas of Nottingham Children’s Hospital as well as the Adult Intensive Care Unit (AICU), with further deliveries planned for other Critical Care departments too.
A big part of this work is made possible through our involvement in the Fulfilment by Amazon charity donation scheme. This scheme allows excess stock to be donated directly to charities like ours, and thanks to it we receive brand-new essential items such as toiletries and hygiene products. These donations mean we can get support to patients and families quickly, exactly where it’s needed and enables staff across the hospital to have easily accessible supplies on hand to help their patients.
“These items might seem small, but they make a world of difference,” says Michelle Dorman, our Senior Community Fundraising Manager. “When patients or families arrive with little warning, having supplies ready means we can support them straight away. It also helps staff go beyond the basics, enhancing care for patients and their loved ones at a really difficult time.”
Alongside Amazon, we’re also incredibly grateful for the support of Balfour Beatty. Their involvement in our 2025 Dragon Boat Race, fundraising activities like bake sales, and donations of care bags specifically for parents staying with children in Nottingham Children’s Hospital have all helped make this work possible.
As long as we continue to receive donations through schemes like Fulfilment by Amazon and support from generous partners like Balfour Beatty, we’ll keep creating and delivering care bags across our hospitals – helping staff enhance the care of patients and their loved ones every single day.
There are lots of ways you can help us support staff, patients and families across Nottingham’s NHS hospitals. Whether you’d like to fundraise, take on a challenge or event, or volunteer your time, we’d love to hear from you.
If you’re a member of NUH staff who would like to find out more about how our care bags can help your ward or department please email our team: hello@nottinghamhospitalscharity.org,uk
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