Latest charity funding awards announced

15 February 2023

An upgrade to a paediatrics department playroom, a 3D model of a baby’s foot, and a programme to get patients up and moving are just three of the latest projects to receive funding from the Royal Free Charity.

Eleven applications for funding for projects across the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust have been given the green light.

The funding ranges from £515 to £11,000 and includes:

• A £4,000 project to improve the playroom at Barnet Hospital, including new furniture and sensory toys.
• £515 to buy 3D models demonstrating what a child’s foot will look like following treatment for congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) to help parents understand how treatment will help their baby and manage their anxiety.
• A £3,500 project to get patients up and about to speed up their recovery and get them home more quickly. This project will reduce the risk of falls and pressure ulcers and promote patient’s mental wellbeing as well as their physical recovery.

Jon Spiers, our chief executive, said: “Each of these projects has demonstrated its potential to make a real difference to the quality of care and support provided to patients. It’s thanks to the wonderful generosity of our supporters that we’re able to provide funding to turn these superb ideas into reality.”

The eleven projects to benefit from funding are:

• Four electric fully reclinable armchairs, as an alternative to a hospital bed, to help patients to maintain their mobility and independence (£8,642)
• A £4,000 project to improve the playroom at Barnet Hospital including new furniture and sensory toys
• £2,000 for double-walled water bottles for patients who need to drink rehydration solution as part of their treatment. Keeping the solution cool makes it more palatable for patients to drink
• £11,000 to buy mobile diagnostic ultrasound machines for the labour ward and day assessment unit at the Royal Free Hospital
• £1,000 to install an electronic noticeboard in the Royal Free Hospital’s radiotherapy department to give patients real time information about waiting times and other updates
• £1,000 to extend a project proving reusable water bottles for radiotherapy patients
• £750 for virtual reality headsets and software to provide immersive experiences for patients undergoing colposcopy treatment at Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital
• £515 to buy 3D models demonstrating what a child’s foot will look like following treatment for congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) to help parents understand how treatment will help their baby and manage their anxiety
• A £3,500 project to get patients moving, to speed up their recovery and get them home. This project will reduce the risk of falls and pressure ulcers and promote patient’s wellbeing as well as their physical recovery
• Over £7,200 to develop a dashboard and chatbot to improve the availability of information about epilepsy
• £10,000 to produce a series of patient information videos for patients who are referred to and treated at the specialist centre for kidney cancer at the Royal Free London.

The funding, which totals just under £50k, was made possible thanks to patients and staff of wards or departments who donated money or carried out fundraising activities.