A generous anonymous donor has stepped forward after a hospital run by the community hit unexpected costs in its new £660,000 expansion.
Holbeach Hospital has unveiled its recent expansion nearly 30 years after volunteers saved it from closure.
It is still community run thanks largely to donations, and opened a new wing with eight much-needed bedrooms to ease the waiting list at the Boston Road North site.
The creation of rehabilitation rooms and nursing home beds from former old clinical rooms landed a £110,000 VAT bill for the Holbeach and East Elloe Hospital Trust.
The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has donated what the hospital’s chair of directors, Chris Penny calls a ‘significant proportion’ of the cost.
“To date the cost of the project is in excess of £550,000,” he said. “In addition there is a VAT liability of £110,000 which the Trust are unable to recover.
“This is significantly more than was originally anticipated due to the inherent unforeseen problems that arise from altering an old building that has previously been badly adapted. The directors decided during the course of the works to install a new fire alarm across the whole of the site so as to ensure the patients and staff and fully protected and an increase in the scope of the works to include the refurbishment of the relatives facilities.
“We have been fortunate that an anonymous donor is providing funds to pay a significant portion of the cost with the rest being paid for by the realisation of assets and investments.
“The directors have identified that to be able to satisfy ever increasing demand and to improve cost efficiencies further expansion is required and will be looking at how this can be funded over the next few months.”
The trust offers beds for use by local GP surgeries, nursing homes and re-ablement facilities, including a physiotherapy department.
“The new rooms are an additional asset to the community and were full within a week of opening,” added Mr Penny.
“It is important that Holbeach Hospital remains sustainable in the future and these new bedrooms will assist with that.
“But we must not stand still; we still need to do more to ensure our future sustainability.
“The building work has highlighted that we need an ongoing programme of to upgrade the existing ageing building to bring it in line with changing standards.”
The hospital, a registered charity, is run by the likes of local man Mike Brett who first started as a volunteer, driving patients in the hospital’s mini-bus, but is now a director.
“We’re community run for the benefit of the people of Holbeach,” he said. “We support NHS services but the nearly 100 staff are employed by the private charity.
“We do some fund raising and there’s funds from some beds and a lot of people who stay here leave generous donations, without which we could not carry on.
“We have such fantastic staff. They all go about work with a smile on their faces despite the difficult situations they face at times. It’s the last place many people will come to and we try to make it as comfortable as possible.”
Of the new rooms, three have been furnished thanks to money donated by the Hospital’s League of Friends.
The rehabilitation beds are a new concept, where the hospital is working with the NHS to provide for people who are in need of rehabilitation or assessment before returning home from primary care hospitals.
The residents are cared for by Holbeach Hospital but supported with physiotherapy and occupational therapy teams provided by the NHS.
Hospital manager Maxine Winch, commented “Our aim has been to offer more beds for use by the local community and to meet the ever-changing needs of the community we operate in.
“I am very grateful for how all of our staff, residents and their families have dealt with the necessary disruption and thank them for their patience during the building work.
“The new bedrooms are built to a very high specification.”
For more information see www.holbeach-hospital.org
