In 2023 we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Friends of Bognor Hospital being formed in 1953. The charity was started by Don Baines and Leslie Smith, and originally included the Bognor Chest Hospital in Hawthorn Road.
Don and Leslie were passionate about keeping the Hospital open after closure was threatened. They wanted to provide the extra facilities for staff and patients which could not be funded by the NHS. The two wards in the Hospital were named after them when the building was considerably increased in size in 1991.
Since then, the Friends have gone from strength to strength and have provided the majority of major projects to enhance the facilities and update/purchase state of the art equipment to provide service locally.
We are always looking for new members to support our work, or volunteers to help out around the site, so please get in touch.
Do you have any stories or experiences of the Hospital that you would like to share from over the years? If so, please contact us or drop a note for the Chairman into main reception at the Hospital.