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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

Teams from NHS Lothian Charity and Sunndach and Calareidh standing beside the new adapted minibuses

Transforming the lives of children by opening up a world of adventures

We are delighted to have supported the teams at Sunndach and Calareidh to purchase new, specially adapted minibuses to allow young patients with complex medical needs to participate in social activities and excursions.

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The East Lothian Palliative Care team with the Bunny Buddies

Bunny Buddies: A Comforting Cuddle During Difficult Times

The East Lothian Palliative Care Team have introduced ‘Bunny Buddies’ to provide a source of comfort and help families dealing with loss and grief start difficult conversations.

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ArtsCommissionHaematologyFeatured

Building for the Future: Supporting a Legacy of Patient-Centred Care at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre

We are delighted to have supported the teams at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre with their ongoing programme of works and their holistic approach to patient care.

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NHS Staff writing on the chalk board in the SALT Rooms at East Lothian Community Hospital

Transforming Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Rooms at East Lothian Community Hospital

We have continued our programme of art and therapeutic design to improve patient experience at East Lothian Community Hospital. The latest project has created bright, stimulating Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) rooms to support children on their communication journey.

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