How we’re helping to make healthcare better for everyone
Our approach
At NHS Charities Together, we believe that everyone should have the best possible healthcare. We do this by working to improve access to health and care services, ensuring patients have the best possible experience, and that NHS staff are looked after.
We work with a diverse network of over 230 NHS charities across the UK, uniting to deliver funds where they’re needed most, helping the NHS to thrive and making sure everyone has access to the health and care they need, when they need it.
Donations to NHS Charities Together help to support:
- NHS staff
- patients and their families
- people in local communities to live well
Money donated to NHS charities helps to improve healthcare experiences for patients and staff by delivering things that are not covered by core government funding, such as:
- specialist equipment that enhances patient care
- additional services that help people to live well at home
- providing extra wellbeing support for NHS staff
Improving patient care
We believe that everyone should have access to the best possible treatment, but as more of us live longer with complex health conditions, the NHS is becoming increasingly overstretched and patients don’t always get the care they need when they need it.
That’s why we fund projects that improve care for patients, such as:
- life-saving pilot schemes and research across the entire patient journey
- funding technology to help people get treatment at home
- green spaces for patients to make hospital feel more welcoming.
Helping communities live well
The key to living well begins at home. That’s why we’re taking a community-first approach to healthcare and breaking down barriers that make it difficult for people to access services and live healthy lifestyles.
We support projects that give everyone equal opportunities to live healthily and improve their wellbeing, such as:
- funding for volunteers so that they can help the ambulance service in emergency situations
- specialist training and equipment, such as defibrillators, so that communities are better equipped to respond to health crises
- therapeutic gardening groups to improve mental health.
Helping communities live well
The key to living well begins at home. That’s why we’re taking a community-first approach to healthcare and breaking down barriers that make it difficult for people to access services and live healthy lifestyles.
We support projects that give everyone equal opportunities to live healthily and improve their wellbeing, such as:
- funding for volunteers so that they can help the ambulance service in emergency situations
- specialist training and equipment, such as defibrillators, so that communities are better equipped to respond to health crises
- therapeutic gardening groups to improve mental health.
Support for NHS staff
The NHS is its people. Its caring and dedicated staff and volunteers work tirelessly to provide incredible medical care. But they’re under more pressure than ever before and the UK is facing a health and care workforce crisis.
We’ve given funding to:
- create wellbeing hubs that offer staff a haven away from the fast pace of the hospital and the pressures of their life-saving work provide
- dedicated counselling support for those who are struggling with their mental health
- train staff and volunteers so that they can better support each other.
Honouring Health & Care Staff – 75 Years of Service
NHS Charities Together hosted a live-streamed event to honour 75 years of service and sacrifice from health and care staff on Friday 10 March 2023.
March 10th was the eve of the third anniversary of the World Health Organisation declaring a pandemic, and the service remembered those staff who lost their lives during Covid-19 and honoured the contribution of health and care staff in the 75th year of the NHS.
Click on the image above to download our 2023 annual report
2023 Annual Report
We’re delighted to share our annual report for 2023 and update you on our ongoing work to help us achieve our vision of a future with a thriving NHS, and the best possible healthcare for everyone.
In 2023 we distributed a further £14.8 million in funding from our COVID-19 Urgent Appeal – working with our network of over 230 NHS charities to ensure that money goes where it is needed most to support NHS staff, patients and communities across the UK.
We also turned our attention to developing our forward-looking organisational strategy – looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and outlining our plans to grow the impact of the NHS charity sector and uniting for better healthcare for everyone.
As part of this, we continued to mobilise and support the NHS charity sector, which gives and extra £1.2 million every day to support the NHS. We also launched new transformational programmes in 2023, such as the Greener Communities Fund in partnership with Starbucks and Hubbub – resulting in an investment of over £1.2 million to improve health through green spaces. We are expanding our programmes in 2024 including a £16 million workforce wellbeing programme for NHS staff and a programme to help communities respond in emergencies.
2023 was also the year that the NHS turned 75. While we are proud of everything we and the sector have achieved in that year, there is more to be done to ensure the NHS is around for the next 75 and that everyone in the UK has access to the healthcare they deserve.
We hope you enjoy reading our annual report. Discover more about the grants we fund here. Click here to find out how you can support our work.
2023 Annual Report
We’re delighted to share our annual report for 2023 and update you on our ongoing work to help us achieve our vision of a future with a thriving NHS, and the best possible healthcare for everyone.
In 2023 we distributed a further £14.8 million in funding from our COVID-19 Urgent Appeal – working with our network of over 230 NHS charities to ensure that money goes where it is needed most to support NHS staff, patients and communities across the UK.
We also turned our attention to developing our forward-looking organisational strategy – looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and outlining our plans to grow the impact of the NHS charity sector and uniting for better healthcare for everyone.
As part of this, we continued to mobilise and support the NHS charity sector, which gives and extra £1.2 million every day to support the NHS. We also launched new transformational programmes in 2023, such as the Greener Communities Fund in partnership with Starbucks and Hubbub – resulting in an investment of over £1.2 million to improve health through green spaces. We are expanding our programmes in 2024 including a £16 million workforce wellbeing programme for NHS staff and a programme to help communities respond in emergencies.
2023 was also the year that the NHS turned 75. While we are proud of everything we and the sector have achieved in that year, there is more to be done to ensure the NHS is around for the next 75 and that everyone in the UK has access to the healthcare they deserve.
We hope you enjoy reading our annual report. Discover more about the grants we fund here. Click here to find out how you can support our work.
Click on the image above to download our 2023 annual report
Covid appeal progress report
Covid appeal progress report
As the organisation representing all NHS charities, we were the focal point for public support for our NHS when the pandemic hit. In 2020, we launched our Urgent Covid-19 Appeal.
The appeal went on to raise £160 million to support staff, patients, and communities.
We allocated funds to reach every part of the UK, supporting urgent needs, community partnerships, and NHS recovery.
Help us make healthcare better for everyone