THREE new staff wellbeing facilities have been opened across hospitals in Fife, to add to one opened at Dunfermline's Queen Margaret last year.

The newly-created facilities at the Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital in Leven, Glenrothes Hospital and the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy will allow healthcare staff to rest and recharge away from their busy wards and departments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary hubs were set up in hospitals across Fife to give staff somewhere to go and relax, take breaks and have refreshments away from the clinical areas of their hospital.

Now, looking to build on the benefits of these temporary facilities, permanent ones are being implemented as part of a larger project that has received more than £480,000 in funding from the Fife Health Charity, including a significant sum from an anonymous donor to support NHS Fife staff and grant funding from NHS Charities Together.

The first of the permanent hubs to be opened was the £65,000 facility in Queen Margaret Hospital, which opened its doors in June last year.

Fife Health Charity chair Tricia Marwick commented: “These new facilities reflect Fife Health Charity’s ongoing commitment to improving the wellbeing of not only NHS Fife patients but members of staff who play a crucial role in looking after the wellbeing of others by providing high-quality care.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, the charity made a commitment to help staff as best we could. The opening of the latest permanent staff hubs acknowledge the dedication shown by healthcare staff during those challenging times and which continues to be shown today.”