Trucks and lights to say: “Thank you NHS”

15 May 2020

The front of the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford has been lit up in rainbow colours as part of the weekly ‘Clap for Carers’ celebration and to mark the end of celebrations for International Day of the Midwife, International Nurses’ Day and National Operating Department Practitioner Day.

Clare Walsgrove, Hospital at Night Matron for SaTH said: Our Deputy Director of Nursing suggested to me that we ask someone to light up the front of one of our hospitals and I’m always up for a challenge. I got in touch with our fantastic PRH Estates Site Manager, Dave Chan, who said it was doable if we knew someone!

“By coincidence I saw a post from Alan Brookes at Betalite on Facebook of the last building they lit up,  asking for suggestions of the next one. I got in touch and he kindly agreed to help us.

It’s just the perfect way to end the celebrations of International Day of the Midwife last week, International Nurses day on Tuesday and national ODP day today and hopefully it will brighten someone’s evening.”

Alan said: “We supply equipment to lots of outdoor festivals, events and theatres. While that sector is unable to operate we wanted to use our skills and equipment to show our support to the NHS and key workers, to spread some hope and to say thank you.”

While PRH was lit up, Elaine Griffiths from Shrewsbury and Neville Peate from St Martins organised and took part in a procession of vintage trucks that drove a lap around RSH for NHS workers and patients. The people in each truck were members of the same family and social distancing measures were observed. Elaine’s daughter, Chloe Pugh, who works on the Acute Medical Unit at RSH said that the act was a thank you to frontline NHS workers and all keyworkers and drivers and to spread joy and hope to everyone.