Since starting in March, the NHS Charities Together appeal has raised more than £130 million and has so far distributed £30 million.
This is great news, although there is concern that some of these donations may have been given thinking that they would go to certain charities that have up to now been excluded. For example, local NHS charities are only now widening the scope to include partnerships outside hospitals, such as hospices, community healthcare and social care.
There does seem to be a misconception over how some medical bodies get their money, and I imagine that many people would be amazed to learn that hospices receive no government funding.
Let’s hope that the various hospices, Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support and others can benefit from the NHS Charities Together appeal, to partly redress the loss in donated income.