Publish date: 19 June 2023
Past and present staff gather to celebrate 30th anniversary of Wansbeck Hospital
On Monday 5 June 2023, past and present staff from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of Wansbeck General Hospital in Ashington.
The hospital which opened in June 1993 is the home of the state-of-the-art simulation hub, DASH, for medical training and education. This hub uses a three-walled set-up to create scenarios that immerse learners in a range of realistic environments. This is a great example of how the trust has advanced its use of technology to improve patient care over three decades.
Among the guests at the celebration event was Wansbeck Hospital volunteer, Betty Scott, who has been volunteering at the hospital since it opened in 1993. Reflecting on her time as a volunteer Betty said: “It was my schoolteacher that first introduced me to volunteering and asked if I would like to volunteer at the new hospital that was opening and I said yes and after all of these years I’ve never looked back.
“I’ve always enjoyed meeting people and volunteering has given me the opportunity to meet a range of different people and create lifelong friends over the years. You’re a friendly face for people to see when they visit and a smile can really make someone’s day – it’s priceless.”
Northumbria Healthcare’s chief executive, Sir James Mackey, said: “It was fantastic to join the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Wansbeck General Hospital and see some of the original photos and pictures from that era. This was a brilliant chance for staff past and present to look back and reflect on the milestones achieved and the care provided to tens of thousands of patients over 30 years.
“But it wasn’t just about looking back, because we also wanted to celebrate how the investments we have made recently are supporting people in that community. Our local hospitals are at the very heart of what we do and will be a big part of our clinical strategy going forward. Our recent investment in Wansbeck has seen a major redevelopment of the operating theatres and the hospital is also home to our state-of-the art DASH training centre so there is much to celebrate as we look to the future.”
The event was organised by Northumbria Healthcare’s Bright Charity. It featured a celebration ceremony looking back on memories of the hospital and a cake cut by Northumbria Healthcare’s chief executive Sir James Mackey, executive director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, Marion Dickson and long-serving volunteer, Betty Scott.
Brenda Longstaff, head of the Bright charity said: “We were delighted to be able to host this celebration event for Wansbeck General Hospital. It was great to reminisce on all the happy memories of the hospital over 30 years with staff and members of our local community.”