PRH League of Friends provides new specialist Intensive Care beds at the hospital

the handover to the sister and nursing officer by two long-serving trustees: Elizabeth Green 2nd left, and Joan Dew 3rd left along with 2 volunteers from the League of Friends Coffee Shop. Mrs Dew is vice-chairman of the League, and remembers Mrs Downer, who had been a secretary at Cuckfield Hospital, from her work with the local NHS Retired Members' Fellowship.

The League paid for these at a total cost of £100,000, almost exactly the amount received as a legacy from Mrs Sheila Downer of Burgess Hill who died last year.

The beds are highly technical, so very costly, and are the envy of many intensive care units.

They allow remote-controlled movement of different parts of the bed so that patients (who are usually unconscious) can be positioned for treatment, physiotherapy, chest drainage etc.

This venture confirms the continued commitment of the League of Friends and Trust Management to provide high-quality care to the sickest of patients in our acute hospital.