On the 9th February 2017, I lost my wife Beverley to pancreatic cancer after a very short five month battle. I had known my wife for 33 years meeting her at 16 years old. I am totally devastated. Beverley worked at KCom for over 25 years but was made redundant just before her diagnosis. 

Beverley’s dying wish was to raise money for communication for the patients and families of patients within the Queen’s medical centre. 

In August, after finding that Beverley’s humerus had fractured (due to cancer) she was immediately admitted to Ward 32. Crying, frightened and isolated, my wife had to endure over two weeks on the ward without contact with the outside world having only to rely on visits during visiting time.  Beverley had a number of stays on ward 32 each time she was faced with isolation and the inability to contact her loved ones. There is very poor signal for mobiles and were isn’t patient WIFI nor a patient line allocated to each patient.

Each time when I visited the ward I noticed patients pressed against the wall in the communal tea making area desperate to get a mobile phone signal. If they were lucky enough to get a signal they had to have very private and moving conversations with loved ones in front of other patients and visitors.

I spoke to the nurses (who incidentally were amazing people) who intimated that money had been made available for wifi on the ward for patients but there were “technical issues" in relation to its installation.

At Beverley’s funeral we made a collection for the Queen’s medical Centre and we have raised money (which we are still receiving money for) to get WIFI installed. The feeling of isolation and the inability to contact loved ones and share concerns was just inequitable.

Thank you.

Terry Garnett