Local Pharmacy Director Becomes Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity’s ‘Knight’ In Shining Armour

Knights Pharmacy MD Anand Sodha and his wife Amy, based in Redditch, made the donation after they took on this year’s Great Birmingham Run, in support of our appeal to refurbish our hospital’s Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU). 

The couple were inspired by the outstanding care they received at  our hospital through the birth of their daughter in 2023 and during two miscarriages the following year, and after taking on the run they decided to up their donation to match the amount raised for us by other participants.  

Anand said: “We are so grateful to all the midwives, nurses and doctors at Birmingham Women’s Hospital for helping us through some of both the most joyful and difficult times in our lives, and this includes the support we received at the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit.   

“At Knights Pharmacy, we’re keen charity givers and supporters of our community. We hope this donation helps the hospital to continue to provide the very best care and support for families going through pregnancy, childbirth and miscarriage.”  

Anand and Amy’s donation tipped our EPAU Appeal over its £12,000 target, meaning work can now begin to refurbish the unit which supports over 8,000 patients every year. 

Our EPAU sees women who may need an ultrasound assessment in early pregnancy because they’re experiencing pain or bleeding or because they have a history of ectopic or molar pregnancies. The unit also offers reassurance scans for those with recurrent miscarriages and provides support and care for patients dealing with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which causes severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.    

Our EPAU prior to our appeal

Women experiencing HG often require rehydration treatment which can take on average five hours and our current facilities are outdated and provide little privacy for HG patients, who have to sit closely beside each other, while they receive treatment, often displaying undignified symptoms. Meanwhile heartbreaking conversations with families experiencing miscarriages, currently take place in an outdated clinical room. 

Miranda Williams, Director of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity, said: “We want our EPAU to feel like a safe, calm and comfortable space for our patients like Amy, at what can be a worrying and uncomfortable time. Currently, it’s outdated and offers very little privacy or dignity for our women so we’re incredibly grateful to Anand, and Amy for their generous donation which has enabled us to close our appeal and begin making our dream a reality. 

“We’ll create private areas with reclining chairs to help women feel as relaxed as possible during their treatment, install entertainment systems to help distract them from discomfort and transform our quiet room where devastating conversations take place into a less clinical home from home with soft furnishings.”  

The funds raised will also go towards a multi-use clinic room which will enable the our incredible teams to see more patients during the day, which will help reduce waiting times. Its primary use would be patient consultations and taking bloods, however during busy periods it could quickly be converted into an examination and treatment room.   

LED ceiling lights will act as a distraction during appointments and specially designed examination couches will make taking blood samples much easier.