Good Hope Hospital’s fertility clinic is opening its doors to the public with an open evening especially for couples to find out more about infertility treatment.

With 1 in 7 couples in the West Midlands experiencing difficulty conceiving, the event will give locals the chance to hear advice from fertility experts, and have questions answered by professionals.

Fertility nurse, Diana Ham, said: “Our clinic has a success rate slightly higher than the 14 per cent national average with 17 per cent of women successfully conceiving. We are also one of the few fertility clinics in the region to allow women to book appointments between 7am and 9.30am which means they can fit their appointments around work commitments.”

The clinic offers a fee-paying infertility service for couples who are not eligible for NHS infertility treatment, and is one of only two NHS centres of its kind in the region.

Good Hope fertility clinic is hosting the open evening on Thursday 26 November, 6.45pm – 8.45pm at the Partnership Learning Centre. For more information and to book a place contact Diana Ham on 0121 424 9758.

Sutton Coldfield local Tony Swannie has won a Hospital award after helping to raise more than £100,000 for Good Hope Hospital in just seven years.

Tony was inspired to fundraise for the Hospital after being impressed with the care he and his family received at Good Hope. Countless patients have since benefitted from the essential medical equipment he has helped to provide through the money raised.

Tony won the Special Recognition Award which honours an individual’s outstanding contribution to their local Hospital.

Tony says: “For the past seven years I have worked with the fundraisers at Good Hope and whenever there is a fundraising event, I donate the prizes. I can count on the fundraisers to triple the value of any prize I donate and at the Christmas raffle the fundraisers raised an impressive £3,000.

“It’s a great honour to win this award but the ones who deserve the real recognition are the staff and volunteers at Good Hope. The Hospital is invaluable to people in Sutton Coldfield and after the care I experienced, I’m now helping to give something back. If, through my support, they can be assisted in any way to carry on saving lives and helping others, then I shall always be here to do what I can.”

The award was part of the Hospital’s annual Staff Recognition Awards, held at the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham, a chance for Hospital staff and volunteers to be recognised for hard work and exceptional patient care.

The items of equipment that have been provided with Tony’s help include a bladder scanner for urology, a birthing-chair for maternity and new seating areas in A&E.

A Sutton Coldfield patient helped to raise an impressive £1,751for Good Hope Hospital to thank staff for the treatment she received.

Marian Newstead, 64, who is being treated for lung cancer, decided a fundraising event would be the perfect way to recognise staff at the Hospital’s haematology and oncology unit.

Marian’s daughter, Dawn Williams from Perry Common, organised a fun-day at her local pub, the Safe Harbour in Witton, to raise the money. Activities included face-painting, a bouncy castle and raffle which featured a signed Aston Villa football.

Marian said: “I really don’t know what I’d have done without the staff at Good Hope.  My family and I cannot thank them enough. They treat you like an individual, not a number, and this money is just a way of showing our appreciation.”

Unit senior sister, Vanessa Brookes, said: “We are so very grateful for this donation and Marian is the perfect patient. We are hoping to put the money towards patient comforts and medical equipment.”