Support us through the COVID-19 pandemic
Our charity has missed out on around £25,000 worth of income during 2020 from just cancelled events and lack of visitors entering the site.
We are here to support ROH with the ‘added extras’ to help ensure patients are feeling safe and protected, as well as ensuring staff members are feeling supported through this difficult time.
As a result of this lost income, we have less funding for our patients, their families and our staff – so we really do need your help more than ever.
How you can get involved
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Make a donation
You can support our hospital directly by donating to us.
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Fundraise for us
Set up your own fundraising page from home.
NHS Charities Together have been hugely successful in securing 140 million pounds worth of support from individual givers and businesses all over the UK through their COVID-19 Urgent appeal. As a member charity within the group, we are eligible to apply for various grants in order to utilise these funds to support both patients and staff throughout.
We have been successful in receiving funds from this appeal which has been ring-fenced for various patients and staff wellbeing projects within the hospital.
We are extremely grateful to NHS Charities Together and all those who supported/continue to support their COVID-19 Urgent Appeal.
A huge thank you goes out to NHS Charities Together and everyone who has contributed to their COVID-19 appeal, as well as Alleyn’s school who donated a huge £10,000 to us.
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Gifts in kind
We have been lucky enough to receive over £35,000 worth of gifts in kind over the last few months, all of which have been received by generous friends of the hospital, local businesses and members of the public.
The generosity we have received gives staff members an added boost they so deserve. We would like to say a huge thank you to those who have donated gifts over the last weeks, they really do mean so much to everyone at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. We have made a huge effort to ensure every gift is acknowledged and shared on our social media platforms for all to see.
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How your support helps
Examples of how we have supported both staff and patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic are detailed below:
Patient Entertainment
We have funded numerous Ipads to be distributed across our wards so that patients can video-call loved ones. This has given patients an added boost to help them feel more positive about their hospital stay, helped to make people feel less anxious and also helped families feel more at ease.
Supportive equipment
We have sourced additional equipment to give enhanced 1 to 1 care to patients experiencing severe anxiety, memory loss and confusion.
This includes communication aids, sensory equipment, puzzles and games to help with distraction as well as music players and music from all ages.
This equipment has been able to help soothe these patients. Ward staff have been playing music from different eras to help soothe patients and it has proven to really lift spirits.
Wellbeing packs
We are very aware of the stress staff members working at the hospital are experiencing at the moment. Many of whom who are in direct contact with potential or confirmed COVID-19 cases. We delivered well-being packs to staff members to help show them we care. These are filled with goodies to help boost their morale at the current time. Chocolate, hot drink sachets, mental health information and vouchers for our in-house café.
Re-usable face masks
We purchased re-usable face coverings for staff members within the Trust to ensure they are safe whilst at home as well as in the hospital.
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NHS Charities Together funded projects
Preventing loneliness
We were fortunate enough to be allocated £100,000 worth of funding to support a new ‘Patient Entertainment System’ within the Trust in order to help entertain patients as well as connect them with their loved ones and help limit loneliness during their hospital stay.
Since receiving the funds we have set up a project delivery group to discuss the roll out of this system across the hospital in a phased approach baring in mind the strain the Trust is under as well as the patients’ needs. Within this group we have allocated members of each department to share their views, which include infection prevention control, patient representatives, parent representatives, facilities, senior nursing teams and volunteers.
We are exciting to announce that we will be working with Parity Medical on a integrated smart solution across all inpatient wards in the hospital.
We aim to start rolling out this solution in April 2021, however we have supplied wards with smart solutions to support patients in the immediate.
Supporting Musculoskeletal services
The number of people treated for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions is increasing. Lower back and neck pain are the greatest cause of years lost to disability, with chronic joint pain or osteoarthritis affecting over 8.75 million people in the UK. Over 30 million working days are lost due to MSK conditions every year in the UK and they account for 30% of GP consultations in England. Associated with their physical condition, these patients are also facing challenges with mental health, long-term health conditions and isolation. This has been further exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19. Many patients will face longer waits for treatment and intervention, and undoubtedly this will affect their quality of life.
The MSK ‘Early Intervention’ Project has three main aims:
Access: To provide improved access to self-management tools for patients who are waiting for treatment, providing them with tailor made support as they face ongoing challenges with their physical and mental health
Streamlining pathways: To implement simpler pathways for patients, so that they can access the right service for their condition without delay
Social Prescribing: To design and deliver training to clinical staff across Birmingham & Solihull in ‘social prescribing’ so that patients can be signposted to additional support services, having all of their needs met rather than just one
This project is being delivered in partnership with Birmingham Community Healthcare. It is an exciting, ambitious project that will enable us to take specialist MSK skills & advice out into the community, and truly make every contact count.
Supporting health & wellbeing for staff
We have been successful in being awarded £33,000 from NHS Charities Together to support enhanced health and wellbeing facilities for staff. After feedback received from staff, we have outlined three main areas which could give the highest positive impact on our employees’ wellbeing.
Project 1 : Create a communal wellbeing space open to all staff members to use whenever they are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or at crisis point. This will be a safe space used for talking, a variety of therapies and relaxation. We would also be creating wellbeing zones in departments where staff struggle to step away from their working environment.
Project 2 : Fund additional mental health first aid trainers within the Trust. This will enable the Trust to ensure all staff receive mental health first aid training in which they can use to support each other, their own family members as well as patients within the Trust.
Project 3 : Fund outdoor sensory garden for staff, patients and the public to utilise for breaks and to act as a wellbeing garden for those needing some space from their environment. This will encourage staff to step away from their work environment for a peaceful lunch break and help them feel revitalised for the rest of their shift.
Our NHS Heroes
Everyone at the The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital has been going over and above, in their work, in patient care, in the extra hours they are giving, in the compassion they are showing for others and in how they are helping the hospital manage during this difficult period. Everyone deserves recognition for their contribution and we want to thank all the staff members working hard throughout the trust..
We would also like to shine a light on all those staff members who have supported us, while continuing with their day job! Between them, they have raised an incredible £6,000 which has supported staff and patients. These are amazing acts of kindness! I’m sure you’ll join us in saying a huge thank you to them.
If you know someone within the organisation going above and beyond to support staff and patients. Email roh.charitablefunds@nhs.net we’d love to know how they are helping and make sure they get the recognition they deserve.
Please note, if the epidemic situation in the UK changes, your funds will be used for other patient experience improvement projects within the hospital. You will be notified if this is the case by a member of our fundraising team. Your gift will always be used to benefit the work of The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital.