Our Palliative Care team gifts colourful knitted kindness hearts as a poignant keepsake to bring comfort to the families of patients who are receiving last hours and days of life care at our hospitals.

They are now appealing for keen knitters to help make some more as we are now running low on stock. The hearts can also be crocheted.

The hearts have kindly been made by the public since 2021 – one of the hearts stays with the patient and others are given to their loved ones.

We would like to thank all those fantastic knitters who have made hearts previously as they bring comfort at a difficult time, but we are sadly now running low.

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.

Colleagues from our Hospitals Transformation Programme are holding two interesting focus groups next week.

On Tuesday 3 June the session will focus on gathering feedback to inform a public information campaign focusing on urgent and emergency care services, including how they will be delivered from 2028.

The following session on Thursday 5 June, will discuss signage and wayfinding within the new healthcare facilities currently under construction at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

We want you to tell us what is important when it comes to healthcare services to help shape our plans for the future. Find out more information about the focus groups and how to sign up on our website.

Finally, I would like to say congratulations to consultant Dr Dodiy Herman who has been recognised in the national Medical Educators Awards.

Dr Herman has combined his passion of providing frontline emergency medicine with a commitment to education and mentorship.

He has been highly commended in the Outstanding Contribution to Teaching by an Individual category at the award ceremony – so well deserved.