Improving patient care
We believe everyone deserves the best possible care during their time in hospital. That’s why we put patients at the heart of everything we do – from funding refurbishments of hospital buildings to offering creative arts activities at the bedside. Our support helps our hospitals provide even better care for patients and their families, enabling fast and effective improvements to services and extra support where it’s needed most.
£65,000
in emergency hardship grants awarded to help 146 patients and their families
200
more critically ill children treated at St Mary’s Hospital each year thanks to the £2m our More Smiles Appeal raised for an expanded children's intensive care unit
97%
of NHS staff said our support enhanced the overall hospital experience for their patients
645
art and music therapy sessions provided for patients through our engagement programmes
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3,490
patients and members of NHS staff took part in our arts activities
Edwin, Head Nurse at Charing Cross Hospital
£5.0m
awarded to enhance patient care and experience, support the wellbeing and professional development of NHS staff and enable innovation to improve health outcomes
98%
of NHS staff agreed that volunteers make their hospital a better place to work
Ricki Simson, Ophthalmology Matron at the Western Eye Hospital
Supporting NHS staff
Day and night, our extraordinary NHS staff work tirelessly to look after patients and their families – often in extremely challenging circumstances.
By supporting their mental health and wellbeing, and creating opportunities to further their professional development, we make life easier for hard-working staff and help our hospitals provide even better care.
Over the last year, we’ve enabled staff to pursue ambitious research projects, develop new skills and gain valuable experience. We’ve also improved facilities to create better working environments.
Prof Clare Lloyd, Imperial College London
Through our partnership with the Parasol Foundation, we established the Parasol Foundation Centre for Women's Health and Cancer Research to drive forward important research into women's health.
Read more about the project here
80+
improvements to changing rooms, kitchens and other facilities for healthcare professionals, including two brand new lounge areas for hospital staff to take a break, relax and recharge
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86%
of NHS staff who used the lounges agreed they liked the appearance of the spaces
71%
of NHS staff agreed the lounges made them feel more valued for their work
Member of NHS staff at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
3,000+
active members of NHS staff who visit museums and galleries for free as part of our Staff Arts Club
95%
of Staff Arts Club members say this benefit makes their hospital a better place to work
Driving research and innovation
We’re committed to driving forward new and innovative ideas that transform the experience of care for patients at our hospitals. By enabling NHS staff to think freely, develop new ways of working and implement changes, we’re helping to keep our hospitals at the cutting edge of healthcare. This year we provided funding to support a wide range of research and innovation projects, as well as working more collaboratively with health partners in our local communities.
135
patients treated each year in a state-of-the-art ‘hybrid’ operating theatre at St Mary's Hospital, backed by our £1m grant
12%
increase in the number of patients treated for kidney stones using state-of-the-art laser technology at Charing Cross Hospital, thanks to our funding
£574k
awarded through our fellowships programme to help seven healthcare professionals progress their research careers
85%
reduction in tremor severity for patients treated using pioneering focused ultrasound treatment, following our £1.6m appeal
Professor Wladyslaw Gedroyc, Consultant Radiologist at St Mary’s Hospital