An outpouring of tea and thanks at this year’s NHS Big Tea
22 July 2021

Moorfields Eye Charity celebrated the NHS Big Tea at the start of July, with tea parties at Moorfields sites to thank our NHS staff. The Big Tea, which marked the 73rd birthday of the NHS, also involved charity supporters, who hosted their own tea parties to fundraise for Moorfields Eye Charity.
Watch this video all about the event!
The NHS Big Tea is held annually on the NHS’s birthday (5th July), organised by NHS Charities Together to thank and recognise NHS staff. It is also a way of raising funds to support NHS charities, to help them to continue to support staff and their work.
I’d like to thank you who have hosted NHS Big Teas to support the work of the charity. It’s a way of thanking the NHS staff who have done such a marvellous job.
Robert Dufton, CEO, Moorfields Eye Charity
Moorfields Eye Charity held tea parties at Moorfields sites over the course of the week, with the first event taking place at Moorfields Eye Hospital, City Road. Staff from across the hospital attended, as well as Friends of Moorfields staff and volunteers.
We were kindly supported with generous donations from several bakeries, who supplied an array of delicious sweet treats. This included a 6-tier rainbow cake, delicious frangipane, cupcakes, brownies and more.

Some of the delicious cakes that were on offer at the NHS Big Tea at City Road
This event took place in the new staff wellbeing room at Kemp House, Moorfields Eye Hospital. The wellbeing room was funded and created by Moorfields Eye Charity earlier this year, with the help of NHS Charities Together.



Moorfields staff in the new staff wellbeing room at Kemp House, Moorfields Eye Hospital, on the day of the big tea.
Staff at Moorfields sites have coped with significant pressure over the past year due to the impact of the pandemic. During this time, hospital teams provided over 25,000 video consultations, saw more than 40% of A&E patients remotely and conducted 700 cataract operations during the Moorfields cataract drive. Some staff were redeployed to frontline hospitals to care for coronavirus patients.
The Big Tea was a way to thank our staff and provide an opportunity for them to reflect on their year:
I’m really grateful for having a supportive team. We’ve all worked really hard, and I’m glad that we’ve had each other to help get through it.
Rachel Bottomley, ophthalmic technician, Moorfields Eye Hospital
Events like the NHS Big Tea really help us to continue to support our hardworking Moorfields staff and their vital work.

Adam Mapani MBE unveiling the rainbow wall of thoughts in the staff wellbeing room at Kemp House, Moorfields Eye Hospital City Road