 | |
| Formation | 1123 |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable organisation |
| Purpose | Funding advancements in healthcare |
CEO | Fiona Miller Smith |
| Website | bartscharity.org.uk |
Barts Charity is a registered charity in the UK that provides funding for the healthcare sector. It was originally set up as part of St Bartholomew's Hospital to support the work of the hospital.[1] The charity now supports all five hospitals in the Barts Health NHS Trust and medical research at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.[2] In the financial year 2017/18, it awarded £30 million to healthcare projects.[3]
History edit
The charity was originally founded as part of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1123. After the dissolution of its associated church, King Henry VIII ensured the hospital's survival by granting it to the City of London in 1546. To ensure the governors had an overview of the state of the hospital, they established an annual inspection called 'View Day'.[4] The charity has run View Day every year since 1551. Today, the event is no longer an inspection, but a celebration of the works of the hospital and charity.[5]
In 2014, Barts Charity became the first hospital charity to receive independence from the Department of Health. Previously, hospital charities had to abide by both the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the National Health Service Act 2006. The new law meant that Barts Charity was only regulated by the Charity Commission.[6]
Funding edit
In 2016, the charity announced that it would significantly increase its grants budget to £30 million a year until 2020. This made them one of the top healthcare funding charities in London.[7]
Infrastructure edit
The charity has funded major infrastructure works, such as a £6.8 million redevelopment of the children's and young people's services at Newham University Hospital.[8] A similar £6.8 million grant given in 2017 will be used at Whipps Cross University Hospital to build the largest maternity centre in Europe.[9] In 2019, Queen Mary University of London's medical school benefitted from a £6 million renovation of their Charterhouse Square campus.
Equipment edit
The charity also funds the purchase of new equipment, like the technology used in the world's first 'navigational bronchoscopy' procedure.[10][11] In 2017, they funded the purchase of two surgical robots at St Bartholomew's and The Royal London Hospital.[12] The robot at St Bartholomew's was the first in the UK to be dedicated to cardiac and thoracic surgery.[13]
Research edit
The other focus for the charity is medical research. For example, in 2017, a £2 million grant from Barts Charity helped set up a new research centre for pregnancy and childbirth[14]. This has since published landmark research, such as designing a new diet intervention programme that lowered the risk of gestational diabetes by 35%.[15]
Trauma Appeal edit
Barts Charity is the creator of the 'Trauma Appeal', which raises funds for trauma services. The money raised goes towards the Centre for Trauma Sciences, a research facility at the Blizard Institute set up with help from a £3 million grant from the charity,[16] as well as the Royal London Hospital. The Royal London is the Major Trauma Centre for Essex and North East London[17].
The Sunday Mirror supported the Trauma Appeal throughout 2017[18] and 2018[19]. Rapper Professor Green backed the campaign as a celebrity ambassador in 2017.[20] He has had personal experience of trauma, having previously survived two traumatic injuries. In 2009, he was taken to the Royal London Hospital after a stab wound to the neck. Four years later, he was involved in a car accident that crushed his leg.
The money raised through the Trauma Appeal has supported research into new treatments, such as the CRYOSTAT-2 trials[21] and 'Whole Blood' transfusions[22] to reduce blood loss, and projects to improve life for trauma patients. For example, the development of an app to connect trauma survivors[23] and of a 'trauma passport' to make hospital visits less confusing[24].
- ^ "St Bartholomew's Hospital | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ^ "Who we support". Barts Charity. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ^ "Charity overview". apps.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ^ "12th-15th Centuries". Barts Heritage. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ^ "Our history". Barts Charity. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
- ^ Birkwood, Susannah. "Barts Charity becomes first NHS charity to spin out from Department of Health control". www.thirdsector.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
- ^ Hopps, Kat. "Barts Health Trust patients to benefit from huge charity grant rise". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ Morton, Sophie. "Newham University Hospital's children's ward reopens after £6.8m refurbishment". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ "Europe's largest maternity unit to be built at Whipps Cross". Evening Standard. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ "British lung cancer patients undergo surgery that 'microwaves' tumours". Mail Online. 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ Bannerman, Lucy (2018-05-07). "Painless surgery blasts tumour without incision". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ Brooke, Mike. "Robot hospital 'surgeon' at Royal London operates on Julie, 62 — and she doesn't feel a thing". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ "Rise of the robots: Robo-surgeons revolutionise Barts Health". Digital Health. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ "Landmark pregnancy research centre to recruit east London mums". Evening Standard. 2017-06-08. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ "Eating a mediterranean diet during pregnancy 'reduces risk of gestational diabetes'". The Independent. 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ "Centre Overview". www.c4ts.qmul.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ Mercer, Karl (2011-10-14). "Trauma units aid patient recovery". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
- ^ McKelvie, Geraldine; Watts, Halina (2017-10-14). "Mirror shadows the A&E trauma team which is halving death rates". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
- ^ Paget, Antonia (2018-09-22). "MP stabbed in stomach by female constituent wants to meet her in jail to ask why". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
- ^ Paget, Antonia; McKelvie, Geraldine (2017-07-15). "Professor Green launches plea to raise £1m for trauma team who saved him TWICE". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
- ^ "London surgeons' breakthrough can save stab victims from bleeding to death". Evening Standard. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ "SMD - New blood product for London's critically injured - Queen Mary University of London". www.qmul.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ McKelvie, Geraldine (2018-09-29). "Road crash victim finds new love after accident left her fearful of intimacy". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ Rice, Genevieve (2018-10-01). "Hospital charity aims to raise funds for nurse trauma research". Nursing Times. Retrieved 2019-08-12.