ElemenTel donates iPads to Southampton Hospital

We are very pleased to be able to share the news that we have made an important donation to University Hospitals Southampton, to support staff and patients in staying connected with loved ones.

As a company, ElemenTel has provided 16 iPads to be used at the main hospital, with our Legal and Finance Director Ceri Stafford and her daughter Zara running to raise money for a further 34.

Ceri said: “Like so many people we were keen to be able to support the people at the frontline of healthcare services. When we first enquired with Southampton Hospitals Charity about how we could help, we discovered that they had no tablets at all so no one was able to make video calls while staying or working in the hospital, and we knew that was the answer.

“There are patients going without family contact for weeks on end and staff separated from their loved ones on long shifts. I can’t begin to imagine how tough it is to not see your children, partner or parents for that long, so we want to help people keep in touch by providing these iPads.”

Ceri has already run 26.2 miles, the equivalent of a marathon, within seven days to raise donations for the iPads. In addition, her 7-year-old daughter Zara is running a total of 10km – the exact distance between the ElemenTel offices in Romsey and Southampton General Hospital.

Beth Hall, Joint Interim Director at Southampton Hospitals Charity said: “The outpouring of support from our local community has been astonishing. As soon as Ceri knew that we were fundraising for iPads she immediately offered assistance and for that we are very grateful. The tablets will make such a difference in helping our patients communicate with their loved ones, alleviate their feelings of isolation and positively impact on their wellbeing.”

Judith Stephens, Community and Events Fundraiser for the charity, was delighted to receive the iPads last Thursday (May 7), and told us that staff were so eager to start using them with patients they came to collect them immediately.

There are a number of potential uses for the tablets. On the COVID-19 wards they can be used for remote consultations with other departments, and patients can stay in touch with their family and friends while isolated in the hospital.

For staff, the tablets will allow connection with occupational health teams to provide remote support for their health and wellbeing, access online tools and stay in touch with their own families and loved ones.

If you’d like to help us raise money to fund more iPads for the hospital, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Donations can be made via the JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/team/elementel

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