Paediatric staff to take on mud run fundraiser

Staff from New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton will take part in the fundraiser on 8 June

Paediatric staff at a hospital will tackle a mud run this summer to raise money to improve care for some of their sickest young patients.

About 20 colleagues from New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton have signed up for the 5k Wolf Run in Stamford Hall, Leicestershire, on 8 June.

The hospital has recently established a level two paediatric high dependency unit, the first hospital in the Black Country to do so, and the group is trying to fund extra equipment for the unit.

The equipment will allow staff to look after sicker patients closer to home, the NHS trust said.

The colleagues, who work in the hospital's children's ward and the paediatric assessment unit, will wade through more than three miles of thick mud and water while negotiating 15 obstacles during the challenge.

Ambra Righetti, a paediatric advanced nurse practitioner, is one of those taking part and insists everyone is up for the challenge.

Ms Righetti, who is training for the event by playing tennis and running, said: "We’re a group of people of ages of ranging from 23 up to mid-50s, so there is a range of fitness and some people will walk while others will run but it will be a real team effort.

"A couple of nurses have done a mud run before but that was back in 2012 or 2013. We just want to make sure everyone is alive at the end."

She added: "The cause is much more serious. We’d like to raise money for more equipment and we’d love to be able to afford an ultrasound machine for difficult intravenous access, which would cost up to £20,000.”

Amanda Winwood, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's charity development manager, said: “I wish them all the best and it’s great to see them doing this for our youngest, sickest patients.”