I work on Pinckney Ward at St George's Hospital. We care for acutely unwell oncology patients, as well as general paediatric patients. Our other paediatric wards specialise in surgery, neuroscience and mental health. 

I have roped in my husband George and our good friend Miles to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon, to try and raise some money for our wonderful children's wards. 

Our children's services have been rated as outstanding by the CQC, and the care given to every child and family on all the paediatric wards is second to none. However, our facilities are severely lacking! The wards are tired, cramped, old-fashioned and falling down around us. Most shifts, we end up battling some environmental issue, be it freezing cubicles, broken showers, faulty plug sockets and recently, The Great Floods of 2022. 

We want the wards to be warm and inviting, and to make children and families feel safe. As staff, we want to feel supported and able to continue carrying out the outstanding care we are known for. At the moment, we do not have a changing room or a staff room, which does not help with staff moral. 

Things need to change on the paediatric wards, so that we are able to continue to deliver fantastic care to all our patients. 

‘Better Care, Healthier Lives’. We are the charity that exists to support St George’s hospitals and the communities they serve. Every day, our work makes a real difference to patients, their families and friends and the staff who care for them.