Posted on Thursday 7 June 2012
Nearly one and a half thousand staff, family, friends, and patients had a unique opportunity to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event during a weekend of special Jubilee celebrations at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
Tiered seating and a marquee allowed staff and visitors to take advantage of the fabulous location of St Thomas’ Hospital, right on the river – giving an uninterrupted view of the Jubilee Thames River Pageant on Sunday as it passed the Houses of Parliament. Guests enjoyed afternoon tea, as well as musical entertainment provided by the staff choir and the King’s College London Big Band.
40 Brownies from Waterloo, almost all of whom were born at St Thomas’, sold brownies to guests to raise £600 for Evelina Children’s Hospital.
Patients on the wards at Guy’s and St Thomas’ were able to enjoy the weekend’s celebrations and were treated to a special Jubilee menu featuring Coronation chicken and strawberries. Those who were well enough to leave their beds were able to view the River Pageant from high viewing points on both hospital sites. Ward staff created a festive environment by decorating the wards with flags, pictures, and even cardboard cut outs of the Queen.
Chief Nurse, Eileen Sills, said: “I was enormously proud of our nursing teams who went the extra mile to ensure their patients felt part of the celebrations.
We were delighted to be able to host such a lovely events from our hospital sites with amazing views of the flotilla.
“Patients, staff, family and friends all had a fantastic time and our staff worked tirelessly to provide excellent food and entertainment to ensure that the day was special for everyone.”
The BBC paid a visit to St Thomas’ maternity unit to meet new mothers who had given birth over the Jubilee weekend. The parents of new baby Santiago were among those interviewed live by BBC’s Angellica Bell in the maternity unit’s relaxation room which has fantastic views over the river. Santiago’s father said: “The birth of a child is always a great event, but it’s even better to be here with all the boats going by.”
For the parents of senior nurse manager David Wheeler, Elizabeth and Raymond Wheeler, the day was even more special as it was also their Diamond Wedding anniversary. “My parents had an amazing day,” said David. “They really enjoyed the relaxed party atmosphere and chance to watch the flotilla at close hand.”
Peter Bennett, head of hotel services, said: “The Jubilee celebrations were a massive organisational task for our staff. I cannot thank them all enough for their hard work which made the weekend so special, before everything was returned to normal for the following week. Patients and staff all had a fantastic time and the weather didn’t dampen our spirits.”