NHS Warriors take on military challenge

A team of local hospital staff, led by their Chief Executive Deborah Lee, will face up to an epic army challenge on Exmoor this weekend to raise vital funds for local cancer patients.

The hospital team, calling themselves the ‘Gloucestershire Warriors’, will spend a muddy weekend competing against NHS Trusts from across the Southwest in this annual event, organised by the Army Reservists, which will test their endurance and teamwork with grueling military style challenges.

Staff from across Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust have volunteered to take on the challenge, with both clinical and non-clinical staff including therapists, strategists and administrators working as a team.

They have already raised over £2,000, which will make a direct impact on the experience of local cancer patients through Focus, the charitable fund for the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre, and are aiming to raise even more funds before the challenge is completed.

Deborah Lee, Chief Executive: “We know this will be a really tough challenge, but we’re determined to compete to win, and every step we take will be worth it knowing that we will be making a difference for our cancer patients.

"We have a leading cancer team in Gloucestershire and our aim is to transform our facilities by creating the Gloucestershire Cancer Institute, a new oncology centre which will greatly improve the experience for local people fighting cancer.

"Teamwork is crucial in the hospitals, and this challenge will also help to develop our culture of working together to give the best possible care to our patients – leading that culture from the top, through my personal involvement, is very important to me.”

To find out more about the NHS Warriors and their challenge, or to support their appeal, visit www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/charity or call 0300 422 3231.