Staff from the Emergency Department at Southampton General Hospital will be cycling from Edinburgh to Southampton. 

Our aim is to raise money to invest in our staff’s well-being. It is no secret that across the country Emergency Departments have faced unprecedented pressures and NHS staff have carried themselves with strength and grace. Now it is our turn to look after them. 

Rachael Hains, Patient Tracker:

"I worked in Southampton General Hospital for a little over a year. My role was designed to take some of the administrative pressure off the clinical staff and help assist with flow through the department. Every day I watched my colleagues lead with kindness and patience, it doesn’t matter how tired they are or how much abuse they’ve taken from members of the public, they show up. I am in awe of everything they do and I want to do something to support them. 

In 2020 our new children’s emergency and trauma department opened through Charity support, and our adult’s emergency department expanded in 2021 to keep up with the growing demand on our emergency services.  

Our current well-being room can only fit two people in at a time, so we want to convert our old staff room into a new well being area. It has more room and kitchen facilities that will allow us to sit down with a cup of tea and do a proper well-being check.There is also a small garden space outside, but it is also in need of an update to make it usable for staff. This is so important as there are little to no windows in the emergency department, and when working long days, just having that little break outside makes a world of difference." 

Race across the country

The idea to race across the country was sparked by a conversation about mental health within our department, so on 8 May 2023, we are cycling from Edinburgh to our Emergency Department in Southampton.

We are currently a team of 5 with several wonderful volunteers from the Emergency Department.

At Southampton Hospitals Charity, we bring people together to raise life-changing funds for University Hospital Southampton – the South Coast’s leading healthcare provider. From specialist services to pioneering research, our incredible supporters enhance care, experience and outcomes for thousands of patients every year. With your help, we can create an impact that lasts for generations - Let’s transform care, together.

We’ve only just started and already the response has been an overwhelming outpouring of support.