Following feedback from our recent supporter survey, many of you told us how important staff training and development is for you – and we’re proud to share that Royal Surrey Charity has been investing in staff training and development so that they can provide better care for you and your loved ones. 

Thanks to your support, we have recently funded a range of specialist training, study days and wellbeing initiatives across the Trust, helping staff build skills, share knowledge and provide the very best care for patients and their families.

Within the Royal Surrey Cancer Centre, charitable funding has supported specialist SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy) training for nurses on the Chilworth Day Unit, study and wellbeing events for the Medical Physics team, and Haematology study days.

Sarah Etherington, Associate Director of Nursing for Oncology at Royal Surrey, said:

“Using the charitable funds enables us to grow our own SACT nurses. Without this funding, we would have a long waiting list for patients to be treated, as not enough nurses have the right qualifications.

“The specialist training allows the Cancer Centre to maintain a skilled workforce and provide the best care for our patients.

“It is also really important that we run wellbeing days for staff. The area of work we are in can be very hard and, to give patients and relatives the support they need, it’s important we support the staff too.”

Liz Adams, Head of Medical Physics said: 

“The study and wellbeing events for Medical Physics give an opportunity for the whole team to come together, sharing the excellent work carried out across the whole service and building team cohesion. This in turn helps to support collaborative working and shared learning to ensure we deliver the best possible service to the clinical departments that we support.”  

Your donations have also helped support training and development within our Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), which recently achieved the prestigious Platinum Bliss Baby Charter accreditation – the highest level of recognition awarded by Bliss, the national charity for premature and sick babies.

Giezl Pulanco, Senior Sister and Manager of SCBU, said:

“We are proud of what we’ve achieved, and committed to continuing this journey, listening, learning and improving every step of the way. This award belongs to every member of the team, and to every family who has helped shape who we are today.”

In Cardiology, funding has supported the staff to attend the Cardiology Open Forum event. Nicola Montalbano, Head of Cardiac Physiology at Royal Surrey, who also attended the conference, said: 

“The forum enabled colleagues from across all areas of the Cardiology service to deliver presentations, providing greater visibility of their work, challenges, and achievements. Importantly, the forum also provided a platform to identify gaps within the current service. By openly reviewing challenges and areas for improvement, the team was able to take a more strategic and proactive approach to service development. This collective reflection will support informed decision-making and help prioritise future initiatives.”

These are just some of the many ways your donations are helping our staff develop their skills and continue delivering extraordinary care across Royal Surrey and our community hospitals.

Thank you for investing in the development of people who care for us all.

Donate to our Staff Wellbeing Fund