Newcastle Hospitals Charity – our funding themes

The charity will fund projects and ideas that fall into one of the five themes below – which all flow from the charity’s strategic aims:

Theme 1: Patient Care

Why does the charity fund patient care? Excellent patient care is integral to what the Trust is trying to achieve, and it’s therefore integral to the charity’s current five year strategy. Ultimately everything the charity does should feed into an improved experience for patients. This theme focuses specifically on both improved clinical outcomes for patients and on creating the best possible non-clinical experiences for patients and visitors with the aim of helping their hospital experience be as comfortable as it can be.

How do we fund patient care proposals? There are two sub-themes as part of our patient care theme. Firstly we will support proposals that will benefit patients by enhancing the treatment journeys they undertake in relation to their medical conditions. Secondly we are seeking to fund proposals that support the wider wellbeing of patients – which could be focused on their physical and mental health, or on creating the best possible hospital environments for patients and their visitors.   

What sort of things might be funded under this theme? This theme seeks to enhance or supplement standard NHS provision. It includes equipment that is medical, surgical, therapeutic in nature, or that supports patients’ mobility, rehabilitation, relaxation, or recreational needs. Examples of things that Newcastle Hospitals Charity have funded recently include a surgical robot, radiotherapy equipment, and treatment self-help workshops. Patient wellbeing funding has included refurbishment of waiting / day / quiet rooms or staff rest areas, improved furniture and furnishings, artwork on the walls or music being played to help patients feel more relaxed during their stay within the hospitals. The charity also supports relatives and carers with overnight accommodation where needed.

Theme 2: Supporting staff

Why does the charity fund supporting staff? More than 16,000 people are employed by the Trust and by focusing on staff we can support the best levels of service to patients in the hospital and in our communities.

How will we set up the funding of support for staff proposals? There are two sub-themes as part of our staff support theme. Firstly, we will support the training and development opportunities offered to staff by the trust. This helps staff to realise their ambitions to be excellent in their fields. Ultimately this translates into better care and treatment for patients. Secondly we want to fund initiatives that promote staff wellbeing both physically and mentally. Thirdly, we will fund projects and schemes aimed at both staff and patients who are experiencing a time of hardship and difficult personal circumstances.

What sort of things might be funded under this theme? Attendance on NHS and external courses (over and above statutorily required / trust-mandated courses), recognition programmes, awards ceremonies, attendance at conferences, organisational subscriptions to medical journals, and educational books are all included as part of this funding theme. Examples staff wellbeing projects we have funded include counselling, patient support groups, morale boosting team activities, psychological support and working with the Citizens Advice Bureaux to provide staff with advice within the hospitals.

Theme 3: Innovation

Why does the charity fund Innovation? There is a need for effective research to find better ways of diagnosing and treating many medical conditions. Without advances the treatment options and prognosis for some patients within our hospitals will remain limited. Work is continually being developed internationally to increase knowledge and work out new approaches, and the Newcastle Hospitals have an important role to play in this.

How will we set up the funding for Innovation proposals? This theme is focused on two sub-themes. Firstly, we support a theme called invent & adopt which might include the purchase or invention of new equipment that the hospitals do not yet have and which core NHS funding does not yet cover. The charity also funds clinical research projects that align with the Trust’s research priorities and which can quickly be translated into patient benefit within our hospitals, promoting a patient-centred, innovative and data-enabled clinical research environment.

What sort of things might be funded under this theme? As part of our Invent & Adopt theme the charity has supported the purchase of surgical robots and state of the art scanners. Recent examples of clinical research include Tissue and Explant Analysis of Medical Implant Failure, and Prospective Assessment of Sarcopenia in Severe Pancreatitis.

Theme 4: Health inequalities

Why does the charity fund work to challenge Health Inequalities? Health inequalities are systematic, unfair and avoidable differences across the population in relation to health and social outcomes. They arise due to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.  For example people living in poverty find it harder to live healthy lives and harder to access NHS services. They live with greater illness and die earlier than the rest of the population. Recent studies in the North East show that life expectancy was 12.9 years lower for men and 10.4 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Newcastle upon Tyne compared to the least deprived areas.

How will we set up the funding of Health Inequity proposals? There are no sub-themes for health inequality funding. Proposals of any value relating to this theme can be submitted for assessment, and ideas and proposals for working both inside the hospitals and out in the community will be considered highly relevant. The charity is seeking to build relationships with external organisations whose work both inside the hospitals and out in different communities focuses on access to healthcare services which might impact on hospital admissions or readmissions. The charity is also seeking to explore being a regional partner for collaborative prevention work. 

What sort of things might be funded under this theme? Projects aimed at enhancing access, experience, and/or outcomes for people facing barriers or with characteristics that place them at risk of being less healthy. Recent examples include funding a specialist nurse to work with refugee and asylum seeking families, and supporting patients with learning disabilities to help the hospitals change the way they explain services available.

If you have an idea that doesn’t fit with any of these strategic aims but you would like to explore whether we can help, please contact the charity funding and partnerships team.