Countess Of Chester Hospital

02/06/2026

A special milestone ❤️💛

There was a very special bell ringing on our Children’s Ward last week, as nine-year-old Grace completed treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma.

After months of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy following her diagnosis in October 2025, this was such an important milestone in Grace’s journey.

We're so proud of Grace’s strength and resilience, and of the teams who cared for her along the way.

Here she is with her parents on the very special occasion💛

26/05/2026

Patients on the stroke rehabilitation ward at Ellesmere Port Hospital are getting more time, more choice and more confidence in their recovery - thanks to a new 'open gym' approach.

The idea came from therapy staff, who noticed many patients wanted extra opportunities to practise their exercises outside of their usual one-to-one sessions.

So, they created a more flexible, welcoming space where patients can drop in, stay active and build confidence at their own pace.

Held twice a week, these sessions bring patients together in a relaxed, social setting, with therapy assistants on hand to support. Activities are tailored to each person, helping them practise both physical and cognitive skills in a way that works for them.

It's already having a great impact - patients are spending more time practising their rehab, staying motivated, and feeling more in control of their recovery.

In fact, therapy practice time has increased by around 30% during gym sessions!

Ruth Hatcher, Quality Improvement Lead for Neuro Therapy Services, described it as 'a great example of how a simple, staff-led idea can have a big impact, giving people more time and confidence to practise while making the best use of our space and expertise.”

21/05/2026

Celebrating dedication and commitment 💙

Last week, our annual Long Service Awards - hosted by our Chair Neil Large and Chief Operating Officer Cathy Chadwick - recognised colleagues marking 25, 40 and even 50 years of working at the Trust.

Each of these milestones represent years of care, compassion and service to our patients and community.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our organisation, bringing invaluable knowledge, expertise and experience as we keep striving to improve.👏🏻👏🏻

20/05/2026

A huge milestone for Chester 💙

We’re so proud to have helped the city achieve Hepatitis C micro-elimination status - meaning the virus is now under control in our local community.

This has only been possible thanks to strong partnerships, dedicated outreach, and taking care beyond hospital walls to reach people where they are.

Our teams and partners have worked tirelessly to improve access to testing and treatment - especially for those who might not otherwise engage with services.

Read more about this fantastic achievement on our website - https://www.coch.nhs.uk/corporate-information/news/countess-of-chester-hospital-celebrates-breakthrough-in-hepatitis-c-micro-elimination.aspx

20/05/2026

🧪 Clinical Trials Day 🧪

🚍 Our research bus was out at both the Countess of Chester Hospital and Ellesmere Port Hospital yesterday, where colleagues and visitors took part in an interactive Jenga demonstration to explore how vaccines work, chatted with the team, and got hands-on with our Jaffa Cake trial!

This simple taste test is a fun and engaging way to demonstrate how a randomised controlled trial (RCT) works. 🧪🍊

Participants were randomly given one of two types of Jaffa Cakes - a well-known brand and a cheaper alternative - without knowing which one they received, which helps demonstrate how researchers determine whether differences in results are meaningful or simply due to chance.

At the Countess main entrance, many people also stopped by the stand throughout the day to take part and speak with the research team.

It was fantastic to see so many people getting involved, asking questions, and discovering how research is shaping the future of healthcare.

👏 Thank you to everyone who came along - and to the team who made the day such a success!

Have you ever considered taking part in a clinical trial?

We have many opportunities here at the Trust - visit our website to find out more: https://www.coch.nhs.uk/all-services/research.aspx

19/05/2026

Great news 👏👏

We’re really pleased to share that UKAS (the organisation that checks the quality of our services) has recommended that our pathology services keep their accreditation.

This is a great result and shows the high standards our teams deliver every day - as you can see from our brilliant pathology team who are pictured here.

A big thank you to all our pathology staff for the hard work and dedication shown during the inspection.

We are continuing to improve and build on our strengths to provide safe and reliable services for patients and colleagues.

Keeping UKAS accreditation is important because it shows people can trust the quality of what we do, and this result reflects the strength of our teams as much as our processes.

👏 What a fantastic team effort – well done to everyone involved!

16/05/2026

💜 Make May Purple for Stroke Awareness 💜

This month, we’ve been marking Stroke Awareness Month with some simple but meaningful purple-themed activities across the unit.

Across our stroke rehabilitation groups, patients have been taking part in a range of purple-themed activities to show their support, which has included the baking group rustling up some lovely purple cupcakes, the craft group creating some vibrant purple pieces and the gardening group planting some purple petunias!

Every day in May, around 240 people will have a stroke. It can happen in seconds and change a life completely - that's why knowing the signs really matters.

Make sure you always know B.E.F.A.S.T - the key signs for recognising a stroke:

B - Balance: Watch for sudden loss of balance
E - Eyes: Check for vision loss
F - Face: Look for an uneven smile
A - Arm: Check if one arm is weak
S - Speech: Listen for slurred speech
T - Time: Call 999 right away

💜

15/05/2026

14/05/2026

🟢 National ODP Day 🟢

Today we’re celebrating our fantastic Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs), who are a vital part of the teams that care for patients before, during and after surgery.

ODPs work closely with surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and many other staff to make sure patients are safe and well cared for at every stage of their operation - from preparing for anaesthetic, to supporting during surgery, to helping recovery afterwards.

Many of our ODPs also work in areas like A&E and Intensive Care, supporting some of our most seriously unwell patients.

Thank you to all our ODPs for the incredible care you provide every day! 💚

12/05/2026

💗 International Nurses Day 💗

Today we’re celebrating our incredible nurses and midwives, whose compassion, skill and dedication make a difference to families every single day.

In this heartwarming video, some of our nurses and midwives share what they love most about their profession - from supporting families to being part of life’s most special moments.

We’re marking the day with celebrations across the Trust, recognising the vital role our nurses play in caring for our communities.

With heartfelt thanks for the real difference you make to so many lives, every single day. 💕