Special Christmas Tree at QEH, King's Lynn

It's being decorated by staff and patients.

Author: Sharon PlummerPublished 15th Dec 2020
Last updated 15th Dec 2020

Nobody likes being in hospital over Christmas, but this year will be especially hard for patients who are unable to see family during their stay.

To remind patients at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn, that being apart from their loved ones doesn’t mean that they are alone, property developer Annington has donated a ‘Memory Christmas Tree’.

The real Christmas tree, which was sourced locally from Thaxters Garden Centre, helped to kickstart festive celebrations and bring the magic of Christmas at the main entrance to the hospital.

The memory tree also acts as a symbol of hope and comfort for hospital patients, as the donation was accompanied by a selection of plain wooden baubles, which could be inscribed by patients and staff with messages to family and friends, or memories of both living and lost loved ones.

The memory tree is also open to the general public. If you’d like to add a loved one onto the tree, email your message to PALSMailbox@qehkl.nhs.uk and the hospital team will put up a bauble in their honour.

Louise Saunders, Sales and Marketing Manager at Annington, comments:

"This Christmas, we wanted to find a way to bring festivities to The Queen Elizabeth hospital, thanking staff for their hard work this year, and bringing a bit of cheer to the patients.

"When you are missing your loved ones, it is easy to feel alone. Though patients cannot be with their families at this time, we wanted to lessen the distance, and there is no better way to bring people together than by sharing cherished memories."

Amanda-Jane Weir, Head of Staff Engagement at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, comments:

"Christmas is already a tough time for patients that are in hospital, even before we had to sadly limit visitors.

"We are so grateful to Annington for donating the memory Christmas tree to us, which adds a much-needed touch of festive love to our main entrance."