click on any photograph to enlarge
For more than a year, Take Heart trustees and the staff of the Cath Labs and Ward 14
together with Andy Tunstall from the Trust Estates Department, have been working on our
biggest project ever – the provision of a new Cardiac Lounge for the patients of the
Catheter Labs here in the Yorkshire Heart Centre. After all the planning, building work and
movement of existing facilities including the staff room, the lounge is finally open after an
expenditure of Half a Million pounds.
This money has been made available through the ongoing donations of our wonderful
members and friends and in particular, a large legacy by the late James Applegate
Sandham.
The Cath Labs are one of the busiest departments in the Heart Centre, dealing with many
hundreds of patients every year. This is the first port of call for patients who have had
heart attacks and is also the Hi-Tech department for Pacemakers, TAVI, Stents, etc. The
new lounge will make a vast difference to the experience of ‘walking’ patients. Bright
surroundings with comfortable furniture, individual lockers, TV, Wi-Fi and ‘help yourself’ tea
and coffee.
The opening ceremony was performed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Leeds Hospital
Trust, Julian Hartley and he also dedicated a plaque in appreciation of the work of Colin
Pullan who had to stand down after 28 years as Chairman due to ill health. Although he was
unable to attend on the evening, he is still a trustee of course and has the title *Chairman
Emeritus of the charity.
Bill Stevenson - Trustee - Editor
*Google definition of Chairman Emeritus:
Pronounced: eh – merit – us
Meaning: Founder of the organisation, former chairman, still active within the
organisation but without special responsibilities.
Julian thanked Jim for his contribution and continued by saying that he must say something
more about Take Heart. “You are magnificent and what you do for us is incredibly important
and valuable. It has been operational since 1989 has raised over four million pounds and
has always been run on a completely voluntary basis. This is an incredible commitment and
making a real difference. For example, you provided modern furniture, equipment for the
Yorkshire Heart Centre, all tv, internet and phone calls porovided for free by the charity,
provide free accommodation for patients relatives and improve the environment for staff.
Now the Roof Garden is my favourite place to go in hot weather. It’s a really popular place
to go for patients relatives and staff for a breath of fresh air.
“I want to thank all your supporters who funded this fantastic new facility. Our thanks also
go to our corporate planning team who helped design and deliver this project and I notice
Andy Tunstall (Estates Dept) - you’ve done a bit of snagging (laughter) and as always the
team brings these things to fruition in a pretty short time scale and looking really good. And
of course, I want to put on record our huge thanks to Colin Pullan whose enormous
contribution to Take Heart over the last 28 years. I know Bill is recording this so Colin will
be able to hear what has gone on tonight. I’ve a few more things to say about Colin but at
this point, we need to pull the string on the plaque to officially declare the suite open.
“At this point, it is a real privilege to declare the Take Heart Cardiac Suite officially open”
*
*
left-right: Gina McGawley, Chairman Take Heart, Alec McLean, Treasurer,
Julian Hartley CEO Leeds Hospitals Trust, Bill Stevenson, Trustee IT Manager Take Heart.
COLIN PULLAN, MBE
Chairman Emeritus Take Heart
Julian then introduced Alec who made a short speech, passing on Colin’s sincere regrets
that he could not attend the function because of health issues. He talked fondly of working
with Colin over27 years, praising his achievements, and reminisced that Colin asked him at
that time to stand in as treasurer temporarily until he found someone else.
+
The CEO of Leeds Hospital Trust, Julian Hartley,
performed the opening ceremony.
He praised the Take Heart Charity and was
extremely sorry that Colin Pullan, the Chairman
Emeritus of Take Heart, who was to have
performed the opening jointly with him, could
not attend due to ill health and he wished him
well.
The Take Heart Cardiac Suite had been running
for a week and already the benefits are felt. The
new service currently has acute overnight
accommodation in Ward 14 courtesy of the Take
Heart Suite. Already, the suite has enabled
fewer cancellations. There is a large waiting
area with TV, comfortable chairs, office,
separate toilets, privacy room to protect patient
confidentiality, private lockers, tea and coffee on
demand and much more. Patients are treated in
their own clothes or dignity suits if required.
Cardiac Consultant Jim McLennachan joined in
to say “One of our shortages is beds. We have
been making cancellations due to what
happened in 14. We needed a facility to bring
patients in for day case procedures and get
them to the lab. Clearly we are incredibly
grateful to Take Heart. Historically this has been
pushed for by the doctors. It is a huge tribute
to nursing staff, physiology staff, radiography
and all others who said we needed to improve.”
Alec then said that although Take Heart received much praise for the work they do, a lot of that praise
should be directed at the brilliant work which the staff of the hospital do. We often bask in the staff’s
reflected glory.
He then showed off the present which the trustees had bought for Colin, a beautiful engraved crystal
whisky decanter. Alec said - “it now needs filling!” Fortunately the ward sisters came to the rescue with
their gift for Colin - a bottle of extremely good whisky, so problem solved!
Julian then paid his tribute to Colin saying “Colin was an ambulance driver and one of the original
founders of the then, Take Heart Club 29 years ago in Killingbeck Hospital. He was one of a small group
who had received heart surgery and wanted to give sometning back for the excellent care they
received. He was made the first Chairman and continued in that role until 2017 when ill health forced
him to stand down. He passed over these duties to Gina McGawley.
For all these years, Colin was an almost daily visitor to the hospital and the charity started to grow
uinder his leadership. One of the first items bought were two exercise bikes for the gym and since then,
the charity have raised over four million pounds. Since none of the staff are paid, every penny goes
towards making life a little more comfortable for patients, their relatives and staff.
Briefly, the charity supply free TV, phone calls and internet to all heart patient’s beds, a Roof Garden, 6
free of charge en-suite bedrooms for out of town relatives, ward furniture, decor a multitude of
information booklets for patients, medical equipment and among many other things, their famous Fish
Tanks!”
The Queen presented Colin with an MBE in 2002 for his services to the Heart Centre.
His Chairmanship culminated with the biggest project the charity have embarked on - this Cardiac Suite
at a cost of half a million pounds. So what we’ve done is a very nice touch - we’ve got a plaque here
which says
‘The trustees and members of Take Heart wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to Colin who was
one of the founders of the charity and was the chairman for 27 years. His untiring work helped
make the charity so successful, raising in the region of £4m. to date.’
“So this will take pride of place and I think it’s a nice dedication and a really good reminder of his
contribution to the hospital. I’m sure that friends and colleagues will pass on their own congratulations
when Colin is well enough to pay us a visit.
So thank you all for coming here tonight. There’s a nice buffet available so please talk amongst
yourselves about future ideas. I know Take Heart are already planning other projects, but you have
really excelled yourselves with this one. Thank you very much.”
EXTRA
The event was an opportune moment to present a member of staff of the hospital, Jayne Gabbitas
with a Certificate from Julian Hartley in recognition of 40 years service to the hospital. Congratulations
Jayne.
Story and pics - Bill Stevenson
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