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Lord Tebbit's family give hospital thank you gift

Liz NiceSuffolk
PA Lord Tebbit stands in a dark blue pinstriped suit with a light blue shirt and striped blue tie in front of a window. His wife Margaret is seated wearing a purple jumper and spotted scarfPA
Lord Norman Tebbit and his wife, Margaret, were both patients of the West Suffolk Hospital

The family of the Conservative politician Lord Norman Tebbit have made a donation to the hospital that cared for him and his wife.

Lord Tebbit, who lived in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was a patient at the West Suffolk Hospital before his death last year at the age of 94, as was his wife, Margaret, who died in 2020, aged 86.

A donation from Lord Tebbit's memorial service of £1,015 has been made to the hospital's My Wish charity in thanks for the treatment they received there, the couple's family said.

Alison Hovesen, the couple's daughter, said: "Everyone, whether from ophthalmology, A&E, cardiology wards or porters, admin or canteen staff, showed them great kindness in their old age."

Throughout the 1980s Lord Tebbit worked as the chairman of the Conservative Party and led the departments of trade and industry and employment.

PA Black funeral hearse turns into Crown Street in Bury St Edmunds for Lord Tebbit's funeral. A man in a black coat walks in front with his head bowed. Two mourners follow behindPA
Lord Tebbit's funeral in Bury St Edmunds in July was followed by a memorial service in London

Lord Tebbit's funeral took place in July in Bury St Edmunds and his memorial service was held at the Church of St Margaret, London, last month.

Family, friends and former colleagues attended the services including Sir John Major, Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Kemi Badenoch.

The service described Lord Tebbit's devotion to his wife after she was paralysed as a result of the IRA bombing in Brighton in 1984.

Hovesen said it had meant a lot to the family to know that her parents were so well looked after by the hospital.

She added: "Sometimes seemingly small things can make the difference to care at a time when patients, staff and families are feeling overwhelmed.

"This is why we chose to donate to the My Wish charity, which supports the West Suffolk Hospital community as we wanted to enable their good work to continue.

"It is a 'thank you' for looking after our parents so well over many years."

Joanne Landucci, the head of fundraising at My Wish, said: "It was a privilege and an honour for My Wish charity to be chosen to be one of the beneficiaries from Lord Tebbit's memorial service and we are extremely grateful for the wonderful donation."

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