Welcome to the Friends of Richardson Hospital web site.

The Friends of Richardson Hospital is a registered charity which seeks to provide amenities and services that are not normally available through the NHS, for example, 

• Amenities to enhance the patient experience such as Sunday papers, Christmas gifts and Day Hospital outings and treats
• Extras for the staff as a lot of people give money in appreciation of the care they or their family have received
• State of the art equipment that the Hospital budget simply wont’ stretch to buy such as the Primo bath, the training arm and special seating and mattresses.
• Start-up equipment to get a new service off the ground such as the Audiology Clinic and the Day Hospice – often a service that otherwise patients could access only at Darlington or Bishop Auckland.

People often don’t realise how much these things cost, recent purchases such as the Primo bath and Hoist cost £15,000 and a pressure-relieving mattress over £3,000. Everything has to be purchased from approved suppliers so it is fireproof and safe to use for both staff and patients.

Everyone who works for the Friends is a volunteer and all the money raised is spent on the Hospital.  We try to cover running costs as much as possible through private and business sponsorship and all our fund-raising events and initiatives make a profit.

All the money we have is raised locally and spent locally.  We are here to give Teesdale the best Hospital money can buy, and we need your help to do it.