Being in hospital over Christmas is not fun but volunteers ensured that patients who had to be there would have a little festive joy. League members gathered at the hospital in early December to pack nearly 700 bags of presents. The gifts will be presented to Day Hospital and in-patients in every ward, to renal patients attending the hospital for dialysis and to oncology patients having chemotherapy. Youngsters attending the Children’s Assessment Centre during the run-up to Christmas Day will also receive gifts. Julie Gellatly, the League’s hospital Shops’ manager, who organised the event, said: “This year we have packed a total of 668 gift bags”.