Plymouth Hospitals General Charity and Other Related Charities

Plymouth Hospitals Charity, formally Plymouth Hospitals General Charity and Other Related Charities, is the official NHS charity for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and Livewell Southwest CIC, serving hospitals across Plymouth including Derriford, Mount Gould, Tavistock, Royal Eye Infirmary, Cumberland Centre, and Child Development Centre. Established to fund enhancements beyond core NHS budgets, it drives outstanding patient care, staff support, and wellbeing through equipment, research, facilities, and innovations. Its ethos prioritizes accountability, donor-centred decisions, NHS partnership, and measurable impact, with strategic objectives reviewed annually to align with trust priorities like patient safety, staff welfare, and local research.

The charity funds patient environment upgrades (e.g., healing gardens, Neonatal ICU improvements), specialist diagnostic/treatment equipment, staff education and wellbeing initiatives, volunteer networks like Derriford League of Friends, and small-scale innovative research. Beneficiaries include patients of all ages, carers, families, and staff within the trust's Plymouth catchment, fostering direct enhancements in care delivery and community health.

Eligibility is highly restrictive: grants are exclusively for internal University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust staff and departments via structured internal applications—no unsolicited external submissions from charities or organisations, unless invited in partnership. Geographic focus is limited to Plymouth and immediate South West Devon areas served by the trust.

Typical grants range from £2,000–£25,000 (up to £50,000+ exceptionally), decided quarterly by trustee committees with 4–12 week turnarounds. It excludes core NHS costs, unrestricted external funding, or projects outside the trust. Distinctively, its seamless NHS integration enables responsive, front-line driven funding balancing immediate benefits with long-term stewardship.