The Charities

THE ROYAL MARSDEN HOSPITAL, LONDON

The Royal Marsden is the world’s oldest hospital dedicated to cancer treatment, research and education. Today, The Royal Marsden is the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe treating over 40,000 patients every year. They are ranked as one of the best performing Trusts in the country, and they are the only Trust to be awarded the highest score of “excellent” for both quality of services and use of resources in the Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health Check two years in a row.

The Trust was one of the first hospitals to be awarded NHS Foundation Trust status in April 2004. Becoming a Foundation Trust has allowed them to invest in new services and facilities. Examples include the introduction of the Picture Archiving and Communications System, which revolutionizes the way x-rays and scans are stored and Patient Navigators, who track and monitor all clinical information to ensure patients receive a faster referral to The Royal Marsden. Together with their academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden has discovered or developed more new anti-cancer drugs than other comparable research institution worldwide. With the ICR, they are the UK’s only designated Biomedical Research Centre for Cancer - awarded in December 2006 by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Their Drug Development Unit is rated doubly outstanding by Cancer Research UK.

The Healthcare Commission 2007 Inpatient Survey proved that patients rated The Royal Marsden top for the overall care they received whilst in the hospital, the respect and dignity they received, pain control, cleanliness and their trust in staff care.  94% of patients rated them excellent or very good for inpatient care well above the national average of 77%.

In 2007, The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign raised more than £6 million, bringing the total monies raised to £43 million since 2004.  This money goes straight to where it works best, developing improved facilities for patients, such as new theaters and day units, enabling them to treat them faster and more effectively.

Trust me, they are a truly fantastic collection of brilliant people - THANK YOU.

FRIENDS OF THE NEONATAL UNIT AT ST. GEORGE’S

The Neonatal Unit (NNU) at St George’s cares for over 500 new-born babies each year (up to 30 at any one time) in the intensive, high dependency and special care nurseries at the hospital, which is based in Tooting, South West London.

Many of the babies on the unit are born to families living locally, others come from across the South East of England. This is because St George’s NNU is a ‘regional centre of excellence’ which means that they also care for babies born at other hospitals which unfortunately cannot provide the level of expertise and equipment needed to ensure the best possible treatment. Sometimes these babies are born at St George’s, when it is known in advance that they may need special care, whilst other babies are transferred from their local hospital by travelling incubator.

Many of the babies they care for have simply been born prematurely. Some mothers have only just reached 24 weeks of pregnancy (40 weeks is generally considered normal). However, with the right care, these babies can grown up to be healthy, happy children and they righty are proud to have many families amongst our supporters whose children were born at this very early age. Other babies are born at or near full-term, but need treatment for an illness or breathing difficulties or may need an operation, often for a problem identified during a pregnancy scan.

Although it can be incredibly stressful and traumatic for families when a baby is critically ill, thanks to progress in medical science and the incredible fighting spirit of even their tiniest babies, most of the children they care for do survive to go home and lead full lives, bringing their families great joy. The survival rate for babies born at 28 weeks or after, cared for at St George’s, is over 90%. The unit is therefore a very positive place, the walls lined with photo stories of babies cared for on the unit now home and well.
When and why was the charity set up? They became a registered charity in 1998, with the aim of directly supporting the NNU at St Georges in terms of their special patients, their families and staff.

They are a separate entity to St George’s, although they have close relationships with the other charities supporting the Hospital. Management and Fundraising Committee are made up of NNU staff and parents who have had a child on the unit. Several Committee members are also Trustees. As a result, we hope that money raised is spent to greatest effect and in the areas where it is most urgently needed.