Projects seeking support for staff posts must: 

• Support a specific project, new activity or service development which has a maximum term of 2 years. 
• Involve specialist staff who are non-clinical and whose role enhances the experience provided to patients and their families.
• Establish agreement at the point of funding that either,
  • the posts will end or 
  • will become the trust’s responsibility to fund once the initial period has expired.
• Show that consideration has been given around whether the project can be delivered by a third party or external organisation, rather than employing individuals. 
• Stipulate that the post employs staff from within the NHS, so that no future employment liabilities are incurred by the trust; and no future liabilities are placed on future charity trustees.

Further information: 

• We cannot support recruitment costs or any additional costs not agreed as part of the proposal submitted.
• If there is a need to backfill other posts in the trust because of charity supporting a proposal, then a plan should be clearly outlined. This must be supported by the clinical board to make sure that there is no risk to core service provision.
• In all cases the applicant should take advice on their proposal from the trust’s human resources department and costings provided by finance team must be included as part of the submission.
• Proposals should describe the exit strategy for any fixed term posts, as we will not support further funding at the end of the agreed funding period. 
• We will not cover any severance and redundancy payments. 
• We are likely to base approved funding on the maximum potential salary costs. Proposals should quote the maximum salary costs in their submissions
• Funding for posts where the postholder is employed by an external body (such as a support worker) can be considered. 

The charity may support gifts for patients as follows:

Modest gifts for groups of inpatients at times of celebration – as a guide gifts should usually be based on a value of about £10 per patient. 

Birthday gifts for children, which can be purchased for a named child outside of normal celebration times.

Other than the above, gifts for individual patients cannot be supported. 

We support several established schemes to support patients and families. Examples include 

• The provision of hardship grants for patients and families at the Great North Children’s Hospital, and for transplant patients and families. 
• An advice service to provide information around benefits and financial issues for families.
• A social prescription service.
• A close partnership with the chaplaincy to support their work to alleviate hardship. 
• Support for parents at mealtimes when their children are in hospital as inpatients. 

In addition to the above where there are exceptional and difficult circumstance for patients and their families, we can consider funding family and carer travel and accommodation for a specific time. We will assess these cases with reference to whether the need is:

• urgent and exceptional,
• not fundable from any other source,
• a case of genuine hardship.

• Staff roles which are typically non-clinical.
• Refurbishment of patient and family areas in the hospital and associated outside space.
• Gaming equipment or other entertainment devices for patients.
• Equipment such as televisions or other devices for patient and family areas.
• Festive related activities including decorations, patient presents as well as hospital wide events.

• Proposals to support individually named patients.
• Projects which directly or indirectly benefit commercial companies providing services to the hospital.