29 May 2025
Colourful knitted kindness hearts are helping to bring comfort to the families of patients who are receiving last hours and days of life care at Shropshire’s two acute hospitals.
The Palliative Care team gifts the hearts as a poignant keepsake – one that stays with the patient and others which are given to the patient’s loved ones.
The team at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is running low on stocks of the hearts – which have been kindly knitted by the public since 2020. An appeal is being made for keen knitters to help make some more. The hearts can also be crocheted.
Debbie Snooke, Swan End of Life Care Specialist Nurse, said: “The kindness hearts make such a difference to the people who are important to patients receiving last hours and days of life care at the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal hospitals.
“They bring comfort at a difficult time. The hearts have been placed inside a child’s favourite teddy, as well as in a photo frame with beautiful statements about the person who has died. They are also frequently placed under bed pillow of the partner of the person who has died.”
Jules Lewis, Swan End of Life Care Facilitator and Lead Nurse, said: “We have received so many kind donations of knitted and crocheted hearts and we would like to thank everyone who has sent them to us.
“Our stocks are sadly running low now and we are appealing for donations from all the keen knitters and crocheters in our communities. These little hearts are small things, but they make a big difference at the hardest of times to our patients and their loved ones.”
If you have a donation of knitted hearts, you can contact the team on 01743 261000 ext. 3464 or drop the hearts off at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Ward Block reception or Treatment Centre reception or at the Princess Royal Hospital Volunteers’ Desk near the main entrance.
You can find patterns for knitted hearts here and here and a crochet pattern here.