HOSPITAL staff on the frontline of the pandemic have received hampers and messages of support from residents at two Winchester care homes.

Team members from Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View nursing homes brought toiletries and snacks to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

They included heart-shaped notes with kind and encouraging messages.

The idea of making donations to intensive care staff came from Helen Smith, home manager at Wellington Grange in Chichester.

She said: “Many intensive care staff have been experiencing added pressure, anxiety and fatigue during the pandemic.

“We have seen the extent of PPE that hospital teams have to wear at the moment and we know ourselves how difficult and uncomfortable it is to work in heavy PPE, especially on long shifts.

“We had a think about what we could do to make them feel a bit more supported. We thought some hampers and messages from our residents and team members, showing their heartfelt appreciation, was something that would go down well.”

Helen’s idea was taken up across the entire group of 21 Colten Care homes in the south, with each one gathering items for hospitals in the communities they serve.

Resident Pen Trinnick said: “This comes from the heart, from all of us to them. This project is a good way to show them the thanks they deserve. Their care for us is much needed and they need to take care of themselves as well.”

Two different types of hamper have been delivered with permission of each hospital.

One is a ‘pamper’ hamper, containing toiletries such as moisturisers, hand cream, body lotion, luxury soap and shower gel.

The other is a ‘munchies’ hamper, with treats like energy boosting snacks, granola bars and bags of nuts.

Each types of hamper includes written messages from residents.