We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Workforce and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year award at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022. The nomination recognises our outstanding contribution to healthcare following our record-breaking Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, and the support it has provided NHS staff and volunteers via our network of NHS charities across the UK.
As the independent national charity representing all 238 of the UK’s NHS charities, we launched our Covid-19 Urgent Appeal in March 2020, raising over £15 million in the first five days. The appeal went on to raise an incredible £150 million, with funds making an instrumental difference to those at the frontline of the coronavirus crisis.
High-profile supporters of the appeal included the incredible Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised nearly £40 million walking laps of his back garden, and thousands of other supporters who raised millions in their own ways – from walking or running to sky diving, dancing, and baking. Joe Wicks donated proceeds from his amazing efforts to get the nation exercising in lockdown, and England player Jordan Henderson coordinated Premier League footballers to get involved.
To date, more than £140 million has been allocated to over 600 new NHS projects happening in every NHS Trust and Health Board in the UK. Projects funded include bereavement support for patients, counselling and wellbeing support for staff, research into Long-Covid, specialist equipment, and funding for thousands of emergency response volunteers – and much more.
Showcasing the impact of funding from our Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, Imperial Health Charity in London has used its funds in several ways to support the hospital trust beyond what the NHS can usually provide. This has included urgent support to the frontline to meet the practical needs of staff and expanding its counselling service for staff. Between April and December 2020, the service was able to refer 637 staff members for one-to-one counselling and support, an increase of 76 percent on the previous year. An additional 3,000 staff accessed emotional wellbeing groups during the pandemic.
Dr Sarah Finlay, A&E Lead at St Mary’s Hospital, said: “The remarkable support from NHS Charities Together and the public have ensured many more of our staff have been able to reach out and access support when they have needed it most.”
Following an intense judging process, the official awards ceremony will take place on 24 March 2022. The judging panel is made up of respected figures within the healthcare community including Dr Matt Aiello (National Programmes Lead, Education Reform, Health Education England); Dr Elena Bechberger (National Programme Director – LVHC Programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement); Claire Igoe (Head of Environmental Sustainability – Manchester University FT) and Vinice Thomas (Director of Nursing and Quality, NHS England and NHS Improvement).
Over 190 entries were received for this year’s awards, with 123 making it to the final shortlist. Given the immensely challenging circumstances of the past two years, the volume and standards of applications are testament to the health and social care staff who continue to deliver outstanding work and transformational projects across the sector.
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for the Workforce and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year. It has been our privilege to see the public get behind the NHS, and the work happening to support staff and patients today simply couldn’t have happened without them – as well as our network of 238 amazing NHS Charites, and our small but brilliant team. It’s very much a collective achievement.
“To date NHS Charities Together has allocated over £140 million in grants to support NHS staff, volunteers and patients throughout the pandemic – with over 400 dedicated projects supporting NHS staff and volunteers. These include counselling services, helplines, and intensive psychological support for staff, which continue to make a vital difference. The pressure caused by Covid is relentless, and support from the public has never been more vital – but together we can help achieve better health and care for us all.”
The full list of nominees for the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022 can be found on https://partnership.hsj.co.uk/finalists-2022. The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Westminster Park Plaza, London on 24 March 2022.
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With the Omicron variant causing Covid-19 cases to reach record highs, the NHS is once again under enormous pressure. Staff are working longer hours to protect and care for us as they deal with increased hospitalisations, staff shortages and an ambitious booster programme – all while putting themselves at risk.
NHS Charities Together needs to continue to be there for the people of the NHS.
With your support, we can continue working with alongside NHS charities across the UK to provide much needed support for patients and ease pressures on hardworking NHS staff.
Together, we can help the NHS go further and achieve better health and care for us all.
