Latest news with #SueRyder
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Specsavers store is raising money to help the vital work of Sue Ryder
A SPECSAVERS in the Bradford district is raising money through activities including sponsored cycling, leg waxing, and hair dyeing. The Bingley store is supporting Sue Ryder through its efforts, with optometry director Raj Gill set to dye his hair blue on August 30. Mr Gill said: "We're incredibly proud of our fundraising achievements over the years – especially raising over £1,000 for our local neonatal ward last year, in collaboration with our sister stores in Keighley and Shipley. "We're determined to keep up the momentum by taking part in several challenges this summer, including dyeing my hair blue for Sue. "We're hoping to encourage as many people as possible to donate what they can, no matter how big or small." Retail director Dom Doran will take part in a sponsored leg wax, and the team has vowed to collectively cycle 100km. Donation buckets and QR codes are available in store throughout August.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Dying patients bundled into ambulances and transferred in their final hours after 'cruel' managers shut hospice without warning
Dying patients were bundled into emergency ambulances and moved in their final hours after managers shut down a hospice without warning. Nurses on duty at the Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, in Leeds, were left in tears after being told to ring relatives of end-of-life patients with the distressing news that their loved ones were being immediately transferred. One nurse told the Mail she was disgusted by hospice management, who she claims sat in their offices eating an Indian takeaway while nurses scrambled to hand over their vulnerable patients to paramedics. In total, seven terminally ill residents were moved in emergency ambulances to alternative hospices across Yorkshire between 5pm and midnight on a Friday evening in August last year. Another patient was discharged home. One woman died within five hours of being moved, while another two patients had passed away within 48 hours. At least two families lodged formal complaints about their treatment in the aftermath. Recalling the distressing closure shift last summer, the female nurse told the Mail she knew nothing about the decision to shut until the angry son of a woman who was 'actively dying' started berating her about his mother's transfer. The nurse, who asked not to be named, said she had since sought treatment for depression because she felt guilty about the way several patients had been treated in their final hours. She tearfully explained: 'I was sitting at the bedside of a lady who I'd been nursing for a couple of weeks when her son came into the room and started saying, ''Call yourself a nurse, you're disgusting, how could you do this to my mum?'' 'He told me the hospice was closing immediately and his mum was being transferred in 10 minutes, he couldn't believe I didn't know anything about it. 'It was really upsetting, I was really taken aback I just didn't know what to say. 'Then one of the managers came down and confirmed it. She said it was because they didn't have enough staff, but that was not the case. We had a full compliment of doctors and nurses on that evening and over the weekend. I just started crying, it was so cruel. Within five minutes the first ambulance had arrived.' The short notice closure was the culmination of a 'chaotic' few months at the hospice, which staff alleged had become an 'unsafe and toxic' place to work because of the 'autocratic' behaviour of four of the most senior leaders – then interim service director, Sonia Clarke, head of clinical services, Victoria Hogg, head of operations, Quentin Krang, and chief nursing officer, Jane Turner. Two months later, in October last year, around 24 nurses and healthcare assistants lodged a formal grievance, via the Royal College of Nursing, with bosses at Sue Ryder, the national charity which runs the hospice with 30 per cent funding from the NHS. The hospice re-opened a month later but at least 20 staff have since left, with one lodging legal action, in the form of an employment tribunal, against the organisation. The nurses' grievance claimed the 'distressing' decision to close the unit at the 11th hour was deliberately concealed from them by managers, who then 'spun' an 'inaccurate narrative' to families of patients and local news outlets that they had no choice to do so because of staffing shortages. In reality, both medical and nursing staff levels were sufficient and instead nurses say the decision was made after whistleblowing allegations about the hospice's poor leadership had been lodged with the charity. Tracey Taylor Huckfield, the chief people and culture officer at Sue Ryder, who responded to the grievance, which was independently investigated, admitted the closure was 'distressing' because of a lack of communication with staff and that some did hear about it from relatives of a patient. She accepted the reasons for the closure communicated to families and the media 'were not the complete facts' and that 'whistleblowing concerns' had previously been raised. But she said that 'given the sensitivity and confidentiality of some matters' managers had 'no choice' but to be economical with the truth. Ms Taylor Huckfield accepted there was a lack of trust between managers and nurses, whose well-being had been neglected, and the senior leadership team did order a takeaway on the night the hospice closed because they were 'flagging.' However, she claimed all staff had been told to go and 'help themselves' if they wanted to eat. She dismissed the majority of the nurses' concerns, saying 'while this collective grievance highlights there have been issues and problems in communication, it is not considered that a serious breach of the organisation's values and behaviours has taken place.' However, nursing staff, who are being supported by whistleblowing charity Protect, were unconvinced and branded the investigation a 'whitewash.' They also lodged complaints about Sue Ryder to the Charity Commission, local Labour MP Alex Sobel, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and the Care Quality Commission, who carried out an emergency inspection in March. The Mail understands the CQC are preparing to publish their report, which staff expect to be critical of hospice management, in the coming days. One senior nurse, who has worked in the profession for almost four decades, including 10 years at the hospice, told the Mail: 'We feel let down. We've had to fight alone to get justice for the patients, their families and the people of Leeds who rely on these services. 'Wheatfields Hospice has been all but destroyed, the majority of the experienced nurses have resigned and it lurches from one crisis to the next. The CQC have already told us that, if it were not for our tenacity, this deplorable action by Sue Ryder would have gone unnoticed by regulators. 'It's really upsetting to watch relatives whose loved ones have died or are being cared for by the hospice running marathons, climbing mountains and raising money for this charity, when the reality is large amounts of their hard-fundraised money is going on lawyers' fees as they continue to try to discredit and get rid of staff who tried to blow the whistle. We have repeatedly complained to the national leadership of Sue Ryder, who have failed us. The charity is an absolute disgrace.' James Sanderson, chief executive of Sue Ryder, told the Mail the 'difficult decision' to close Wheatfields Hospice was made for 'patient safety reasons.' He claimed that the grievance, although not upheld, highlighted poor communication between senior leaders and nursing staff which has since been improved by the installation of a new management team. 'The decision (to close) was not taken lightly as we were acutely aware of the impact this would have on our patients, but we were left with no other option,' he said. 'Every healthcare setting must adhere to strict, safe staffing levels and we were unable to meet these due to sickness, vacancies and an investigation into the behaviours and working practices of some employees. 'We received and responded to two complaints from families whose loved ones had to be moved from the hospice and apologised for the distress. 'We stand by our decision to temporarily close. We will not compromise on patient safety.' A spokesman for the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said they were 'aware' of last August's closure, adding that they were working closely with Sue Ryder and were involved in 'decisions' about patient care to ensure it was of the highest quality. The CQC said they 'will publish our findings once our standard factual accuracy and quality assurance processes are complete.'
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gemma Atkinson hasn't married Strictly's Gorka Marquez for heartbreaking reason
Gemma Atkinson has previously spoken about why she and fiance Gorka Marquez haven't tied the knot, with one reason being her late father David won't be there Gemma Atkinson has candidly revealed why she's yet to tie the knot with her Spanish fiancé, Strictly professional dancer Gorka Marquez, despite sharing two children together, Mia and Thiago. In a heartfelt open letter penned for Father's Day, she addressed her beloved late father David, who sadly passed away from a heart attack aged 52 when Gemma was just 17. As she commemorated her 24th Father's Day without the man she cherishes 'every day', Gemma, supporting palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, confessed that the prospect of walking down the aisle without him feels unbearable - his absence being a key factor in delaying her wedding. She revealed: "I'm getting married, Dad! One day, anyway. I think one of the reasons we've not done it yet is because of you. We've come close many times, but something stops me. I'm now the last Atkinson in the family line and if I give up my name, there's no more of us. I don't want to lose that remaining tie to you. "Not having you walk me down the aisle... maybe I'll just stay engaged for a bit longer." Speaking about her future husband, Gemma poignantly expressed that she believes her late father would have been a huge fan of him and their two lovely children - kids who, she sadly reflects, he will never get to meet. "I think you'd be really happy with my choice of fiancé," she said. "You'd get such a kick out of Gorka being a professional dancer – you loved to dance – and I know you'd adore your grandchildren. Just like you adored me.", reports Devon Live. She continued: "I wish you'd got to meet him. There have been many times where he would have benefitted from your advice. You travelled so much for work and Gorka needs to be away a lot too. "I remember when Mia was born, he had to leave for a tour when she was three days old. It broke his heart but I know you'd have helped him. I can hear your voice, saying, "I get it pal, I had to do the same. You'll get through it. "I often feel sad that he never got to shake your hand. You only ever met my high school boyfriend. That's hard for me." The former Strictly star and radio presenter confesses she makes sure her father's memory stays very much alive within her little family. She revealed: "I talk to Thiago and Mia about you all the time. They call you GanGan David. We've got a picture of you in the house and Mia thinks GanGan David lives on the moon and you can't get out. She always asks us how we can rescue you. When our dogs died it was devastating, but Mia took comfort in the fact you were looking after them somewhere. I really believe you are." In January, Gorka provided an update on their wedding plans, assuring fans that he and Gemma will tie the knot when little Thiago becomes more independent. He elaborated: "We will do it, it's just not at the moment. We are very good like this, especially with having the kids. Thiago is not independent yet so we don't want to go into the wedding and be carrying him or halfway through the wedding he starts screaming that he only wants mummy, you know? !".
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gargrave prepares to welcome hundreds of visitors to open gardens event
AN open gardens event that started life 50 years ago as a church fundraiser is once again set to welcome hundreds of visitors to the weekend event. Gargrave Open Gardens - due to take place this weekend, Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22, - last year attracted a record more than 700 visitors and raised more than £8,000 for the church and hospices. People visited 30 gardens of all shapes and sizes, while also enjoying live music, artists in residence, quirky plant containers, and all-day refreshments. The event began in the 1970s when Margaret Green and a few other residents decided to open up their gardens to visitors to raise money for the village's Methodist Church. The event was handed over to St Andrew's Church when the Methodist church closed and has raised money for it ever since. It expanded from a single day to a weekend event when several gardeners said they wanted profits from the event to be shared with other good causes in addition to the church. This year's event, which will see the inclusion of new gardens, will for the second year see half the money raised go to the church, and the other half to Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, and to Martin House children's hospice. A spokesperson for St Andrew's said: 'We chose our local hospices to be our long term partner charities as they are significant to our whole community. They have touched the lives of many of us through loss of a spouse, parent, friend, child or grandchild.' Duncan and Bee Faulkner, who have been running the open gardens event on behalf of St Andrew's Church, Gargrave for the last 16 years, said: 'We've been trying to make it more and more of a community event, with so many people pulling together to bring it off. "We encourage inclusion of a wide variety of gardens: tiny to huge, wild to manicured, new to mature. Visitors love a day out exploring places usually out of bounds. In 2025 we have some impressive extra gardens opening for the first time." The event will run on June 21 and June 22 from 11am to 5pm. Tickets are £6 in advance, or £8 on the day from Gargrave Village Hall where visitors will be able to pick up their garden 'passport' and a map of all the garden locations. Find out more at:
Daily Mirror
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gemma Atkinson's daughter Mia's heartbreaking question over Gorka on Strictly
As Gemma Atkinson pens a moving open letter to her late dad on her 24th Father's Day without him, the TV and radio star reveals the heartwrenching question her little girl asks about dad Gorka Gemma Atkinson was only 17 years old when she lost her much-loved dad David, who died of a heart attack at just 52. Marking her 24th Father's Day without him, Gemma, in support of the palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, pens an emotional open letter in which she remembers the special person he was. The star, who met her fiancé, Strictly professional dancer Gorka Marquez when she was a contestant on the show in 2017, opens up about how she and and their children, Mia and Thiago, keep his memory alive. -and reveals that her daughter Mia, 4, worries when her dancer dad is working away, and asks her famous mum when he's coming home, adding devastatingly that hers, one day, never did. "It's funny how kids pick up on things. When Gorka's away, working on Strictly, Mia asks me when Papa's coming home. I tell her he'll be back but twice now she's said to me, 'But your papa didn't come home", says Gemma. "I explain that her daddy is much fitter. That we have FaceTime and mobiles now. I let her know she can get hold of her papa anytime she wants. We often visit your grave but we always keep it positive. I don't want to give her a fear of death. You wouldn't want that. " The star also reveals that she thinks her late dad would be 'proud' of the mother she's become, but adds sadly: "I sobbed when I found out I was expecting Mia. Not because I wasn't ecstatic – I was, but because you weren't there to share our joy." She also says she keeps her dad's spirit alive with her children by talking about him regularly. "I talk to Thiago and Mia about you all the time. They call you GanGan David. We've got a picture of you in the house and Mia thinks GanGan David lives on the moon and you can't get out. "She always asks us how we can rescue you. When our dogs died it was devastating, but Mia took comfort in the fact you were looking after them somewhere. I really believe you are." "You'd adore Thiago too. He looks exactly like you did as a baby. That's the first thing everyone said when he was born. People joke that Gorka has no genetics in our children whatsoever. It's because both of them are so like me and you. Gemma also confesses emotionally that she'd wish Gorka could have met him. "There have been many times where he would have benefitted from your advice. You travelled so much for work and Gorka needs to be away a lot to o. I remember when Mia was born, he had to leave for a tour when she was three days old. "It broke his heart but I know you'd have helped him. I can hear your voice, saying, 'I get it pal, I had to do the same. You'll get through it.' I often feel sad that he never got to shake your hand. You only ever met my high school boyfriend. That's hard for me."
