The Newcastle Hospitals Charity has received £200,000 from the NHS Charities Together’s Innovation Challenge Fund to support a project that helps young people in hospitals. The money will expand the SPACE Pilot project, collaborating with the Great North Children’s Hospital.
The project integrates social prescribing link workers into hospital settings to assist families of children with chronic conditions. The initiative aims to help families who feel overwhelmed after leaving the hospital, providing them with non-medical support.
Newcastle Hospitals Charity: Revolutionizing support for young patients
Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s objective is to impact Neonastle Hospitals positively. It proudly supports patients and the hospital’s broader community and funds a range of initiatives, from cutting–edge cancer research to innovative medical equipment and ward refurbishments.
Newcastle Hospitals is partway through an ambitious five-year strategy spanning 2021-2026. This gives them a clear purpose, from improving the health and well-being of Newcastle Hospitals’ patients, people, and broader communities to supporting compassionate and innovative healthcare and pioneering education and research locally and nationally.
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The main aims of their strategy are to consistently deliver excellence in every aspect of the patient and visitor experience, support the health, well-being, and professional development of all staff at Newcastle Hospitals, fund significant developments and health-related clinical research and innovation, positively collaborate with public, private, and third-sector partners on tackling health inequalities and creating healthier communities, and be a trusted Charity partner with connected and engaged supporters and volunteers, sharing value and purpose.
The funding came after researchers evaluated the pilot’s work and found it positively impacted families. Many families reported feeling mentally exhausted from the effort of applying for support and lacking the headspace to search for relevant information.
The SPACE Pilot Project: A nationally recognized breakthrough
The SPACE Pilot project is the only recipient of funds from the Northeast region and one of only six projects nationally awarded a grant after receiving 200 applications. The facility offered through the SPACE Pilot is wide-ranging and designed to complement the work of medical clinicians for up to six months.
It involves helping to access emotional and practical services, assistance with housing improvements, information on benefits and grants, school and education arrangements, healthy eating and cooking, and other activities. The initiative is one of several currently operating in the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB) region; it is hosted by Newcastle-based Ways to Wellness.
The research examined the detailed experiences of 18 families who have used the SPACE Pilot service and found that for every £1 spent delivering the program, benefits worth £2.75 were created.
“Our study shows the real benefits of supporting children with neuro disabilities and their families through social prescribing both emotionally and financially. Dr Anna Basu, a clinical senior lecturer and honorary consultant paediatric neurologist who came up with the idea for the project, said.
The £200,000 investment is part of £923,100 distributed by NHS Charities Together’s Innovation Challenge Fund into projects tackling health and healthcare inequalities for children aged up to 18 over the next three years.
Jon Goodwin, head of grants at NHS Charities Together, said they are delighted that the SPACE Pilot project is one of the six initiatives to be awarded a £ 200,000 grant, which will support the project over the next three years.
“Having link workers enter the hospital is a vital part of the scheme, as it makes the service more accessible for some families and allows support to start early.”
The SPACE Pilot project’s newly secured funding is a lifeline for families navigating complex medical care. Uniform Advantage’s $25,000 donation to global health charities is a notable example of compassion, demonstrating that every little bit counts. Together, these efforts are weaving a safety net of support for vulnerable populations worldwide.