What is an NHS Charity?
NHS Charities provide extra care and support for NHS patients and staff, enabling health services to do more. We do not replace core funding, we enhance what is already available, providing additional support that prevents ill health and improves services for patients and staff.
We are the legal way the NHS receives, holds and spends charitable funds, and are dedicated to solely supporting the NHS. We exist for the benefit of current and future NHS patients and staff.
As the official charity of NHS Lothian, we are the only charity dedicated to supporting all of NHS Lothian’s work, all its staff and all the patients and families it cares for. We work in strategic partnership with our NHS Lothian colleagues and other partners to support ways to make the hospital environment a more welcoming place to be, make a patient’s stay more comfortable, fund additional equipment or technology that can help speed up recovery but is not part of core delivery, support the emotional and physical wellbeing of staff, and fund research that could have the potential to transform the way that care is delivered.
We are here to strengthen NHS Lothian’s ability to excel for the communities it serves. The support we provide, combined with our expertise and experience, helps create opportunities that enable NHS Lothian to foster innovation, explore ideas and transform healthcare. Together, we make healthcare better.
Find out more about some of the amazing projects we’ve supported
Sammy the Sloth: Helping Children Feel Safe, Confident and Connected After a Diabetes Diagnosis
A new diabetes diagnosis can feel frightening and overwhelming for children and their families. It’s a lot for young people to take in and process, especially when they don’t know anyone else living with diabetes, or with a diabetes monitor.
How Donors are Helping Young Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease Feel Seen, Supported and Less Alone
For young adults living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), life can feel isolating. Hospital appointments dominate everyday life, plans are interrupted by fatigue, and many struggle to explain their condition or hide it completely out of fear of being treated differently.
Wee Move Event: Helping Children with Cancer Rediscover Confidence, Joy and the Freedom to Play
“I definitely came home with my heart full.“
Staff from across the hospital volunteered their time because they believed in what the day represented: a reminder that childhood doesn’t stop during treatment, it simply needs space, understanding, and compassion to flourish.
Giving staff the time, space and support to learn together: Falls Learning Conference 2025
Falls remain a leading cause of injury, loss of independence, and hospital admission among older adults in Lothian.