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A ‘home away from home’ is to be created for families of youngsters being cared for at Brighton’s new children’s hospital thanks to a generous donation.
RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities) has awarded an £878,500 grant to Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust to provide free accommodation for parents and families of inpatients at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital due to open next April.
The vast majority of the grant is to be used to refurbish a Trust-owned property, known as Glen Court, to create a new Ronald McDonald House. The House, which will be opposite the new children’s hospital, will provide eight family rooms with ensuite facilities, a lounge, kitchen and laundry.
The remaining £300,000 will be used to create a second house with four family rooms, four twin rooms and two single rooms, all with ensuite facilities, a communal lounge, dining area and laundry on level 10 of the new hospital. The family accommodation will also have access to an outside deck.
The rooms will also be available for use by parents of babies being cared for in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Mum Belinda Murphy knows only too well how beneficial the existing Ronald McDonald House is having stayed there on many occasions while her daughter, Freya, has been an inpatient at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.
She said: “It’s been an absolute blessing for our family – the accommodation is first class and the staff, Angela and Madge, are fantastic and always on hand to lend an ear when you need it.
“The House enables you to get a good night’s sleep so you can look after your child properly during the day and being close to the hospital offers you peace of mind. If your child is well enough they can go to the house during the day to have a break from the hospital environment and the whole family is able to sit down to a meal together.”
Lee Soden, Director of Facilities and Capital Development, said: “We are absolutely delighted to continue our long association with RMHC to enable us to provide overnight accommodation for parents of children being cared for by the Trust.
“Many families have to travel some distance to be with their children who are often suffering from serious conditions or injuries that require long-term treatment. We know how useful the current Ronald McDonald House is for these families and so are very grateful to RMHC to enable us to continue providing this vital facility.”
Over the last seven years, RMHC has provided ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families of children receiving treatment at the Royal Alexandra through the existing Ronald McDonald House in Brighton. The eight-bedroom house, which has a communal lounge and kitchen, has given families the opportunity to stay together and benefit from the support of other families in similar situations.
The need for the service RMHC provides is enormous and I am thrilled with the new plans to provide a new Ronald McDonald House at Glen Court and a further eight bedroom Ronald McDonald House at the hospital so families can be even closer to their children.
Work is expected to start on refurbishing Glen Court in June to enable it to open for use by parents of babies on the Trevor Mann Baby Unit by the end of the year.
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