{"id":8184,"date":"2020-04-30T17:09:14","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T15:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ceidiog.com\/pr\/?p=8184"},"modified":"2020-04-30T17:09:14","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T15:09:14","slug":"welsh-nhs-staff-send-birthday-wishes-to-colonel-tom-in-song-of-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceidiog.com\/pr\/pr\/welsh-nhs-staff-send-birthday-wishes-to-colonel-tom-in-song-of-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Welsh NHS staff send birthday wishes to Colonel Tom \u2013 in song of course"},"content":{"rendered":"

NHS staff from across Wales have come together to sing heartfelt and bilingual 100th<\/sup> birthday video greetings to the remarkable Colonel Tom Moore.<\/p>\n

The rousing rendition of Penblwydd Hapus and Happy Birthday is a tribute to the war veteran who was promoted to Colonel after raising more than \u00a329 million for NHS Charities Together after completing 100 laps of the garden at his daughter\u2019s Bedfordshire home.<\/p>\n

The money is being shared between 170 NHS charities across the UK, including Wales\u2019s seven boards, Betsi Cadwaladr in North Wales, Powys and Hywel Dda in Mid and West Wales and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Cwm Taf, Aneurin Bevan and Cardiff and Vale across South Wales.<\/p>\n

Colonel Tom\u2019s efforts prompted staff to put together the video in Welsh and English for the brave Yorkshireman who has captured the hearts of the nation and who has become the UK\u2019s oldest chart-topper thanks to his You\u2019ll Never Walk Alone duet with Michael Ball.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s set to take his charity total well over the \u00a330 million mark with NHS charities due to benefit by more than \u00a380 million from the efforts of the gallant captain and other fund-raisers.<\/p>\n

The North Wales NHS charity Awyr Las \u2013 Blue Sky – has already received \u00a335,000 with more on the way and already among their purchases has been extra scanner equipment to help pharmacists process prescriptions for a wide area of North Wales.<\/p>\n

Anke Hagemi, Senior Pharmacist at Ysbyty Gwynedd and Lead Pharmacist for Renal Medicine in North Wales, said: \u201cWe in Wales are so grateful to Colonel Tom. He is absolutely amazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way he has inspired people right across the UK has been remarkable and we wish him a wonderful birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat he has done is very important to us. Everyone is under pressure at the moment and we\u2019re having to develop different ways of working because we don\u2019t just serve patients in hospital but also in the wider communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have some wonderful volunteers who are helping to distribute prescriptions and Awyr Las covers their expenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout the new equipment funded by Awyr Las and our volunteers, this vital service wouldn\u2019t be running as efficiently as it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will make a huge difference not just for the pharmacy team, but also for the nursing staff on the wards and of course the patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

NHS Charities across Wales have set up their own Covid-19 Appeals to make a real difference for patients and key workers now and in the future and Kirsty Thomson, the deputy chair of NHS Charities Together (NHSCT) and head of fundraising for Awyr Las, said: \u201cThis is really a thank you from the whole of the NHS in Wales for Colonel Tom.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver \u00a31million has already been allocated by NHSCT for grants for Welsh NHS Charities and thanks to donations from generous supporters of Colonel Tom\u2019s campaign, Premier League footballers and a host of other fundraising initiatives, this national Covid-19 appeal will make an impact locally right now and in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus in Wales at the moment is on the immediate well-being for patients and NHS staff affected by COVID-19 but longer term we are looking at how patients can be helped after they leave hospital and how we can provide for the mental health of staff and those in our communities in future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people to know they can support NHS Charities Together, safe in the knowledge that the appeal is national but its effects will be felt locally by patients and staff across Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simone Joslyn, Head of Arts and Health Charity at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: \u201cWe\u2019d like to wish a happy birthday to Colonel Tom.\u00a0 He\u2019s really captured the heart of the nation with his campaign, inspiring people to take on their own challenges to raise money for their local NHS charity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe money Colonel Tom has raised will help make a huge difference to our patients and staff throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, allowing us to provide those little extras that are above what the NHS normally provides.\u201d<\/p>\n

NHS Charities support additional equipment, new facilities, special projects, and extra education and research that goes over and above what the NHS provides, including extra staff listening services, virtual visiting devices, clinical research, sleeping pods for staff and wellbeing support projects.<\/p>\n

The grants from NHS Charities Together\u2019s Covid-19 Appeal do not just fund immediate wellbeing for patients and staff affected by COVID-19. It will also help fund strategic partnerships to help people after they leave hospital and long term recovery for staff and our wider community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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