Twenty new beds bought for hospital

Members of the charity’s general committee agreed to the request immediately after chairman Stuart Earl put it to them at their meeting last Thursday.

The meeting also voted to give up to £500 for the purchase of hardy shrubs such as roses, lavender and heather for the re-planting of the garden the league provided for the enjoyment of Irvine Unit patients and staff 11 years ago as a millennium gift.

The money will also provide for the purchase of compost and for bark chippings to act as a mulch.

The meeting also received a request from the Jethro Arscott Day Surgery Unit at the hospital to consider a project to renovate and re-furbish the unit’s pre-operative and treatment area.

The meeting was also told that the provision of a second theatre and ward would benefit local patients, enabling the unit to increase the range of surgical specialities it can offer.

Provision of a second theatre would mean that patients could be confident that their surgery would be unaffected by cancellations as a result of infections and bed occupancy.

The meeting welcomed the proposals.

The chairman said the league would be pleased to consider the matter when detailed costings were available.

Members considered a request for two phlebotomy chairs for use in taking blood samples and carrying out electro-cardiograph readings on pre-operative patients in the surgical and orthopaedic pre-operative assessment areas at the Conquest Hospital at a total cost of £4,881.50.

The committee voted to buy one chair.

But a request for a £280 maternity chair for the Conquest Hospital was refused because of the current uncertainty over the future of maternity provision in the new East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Treasurer Robin Barnett had previously told members that the league’s assets were almost the same as at the end of 2010, income almost equalling the amount given for new equipment so far this year.

“The main difference so far is a decline in the number and size of legacies received. We have received £38,460 compared with £335,000 last May. A further £34,208 is confirmed to be received later, with two legacies where the size of the estate is unknown.

“Other income of note is a further £4,000 from the social committee, raised through shop sales.”

Total spending agreed at the meeting was £25,908.