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In support of both staff and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Denise Coates Foundation has given a £10m grant to the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) charity.
The funds will be used to support a number of schemes aimed at enhancing patient care and supporting staff at both Royal Stoke Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford. bet365’s global headquarters is located near to both of the hospitals in Stoke-on-Trent.
Denise Coates CBE, a trustee of the Denise Coates Foundation, said: “The trustees of the Foundation are committed to supporting the efforts of the University Hospitals of North Midlands, as it, its staff and its wider community of carers and volunteers face what must be the most demanding circumstances in the hospitals and, indeed, the NHS’s history.
“It and they stand on the front line in the battle against COVID-19. We have all seen and heard the events unfold in the media as day after day the number of those infected increases and the number of those who tragically lost their lives also rises.
“There are many stories of people suffering without the comfort of close friends and family as restrictions on people’s movement prevent loved ones visiting. This is why I and the other trustees felt we had to step forward and approach the UHNM to see what we could do to help.
“We are sure that the funding the Foundation provides will make a huge difference to the Hospital, the staff and more broadly the people of North Staffordshire and the surrounding area.”
UHNM chief executive Tracy Bullock expressed her gratitude to the Denise Coates Foundation for the “significant grant” which will support staff and patients. She added: “As a result of COVID we have rapidly established new ways of working but in some circumstances are lacking the technology to do this in the most effective way. This investment will help fund schemes and provide latest technology to improve communications between clinicians; between clinicians and patients and between patients and their families.
“COVID-19 is also affecting our local communities and this significant investment will also be used for initiatives with our partners in the community, mental health and social care to support them to support us.”
She added: “Thanks to the Denise Coates Foundation, we will be able to prioritise the well-being of our staff at a time when they are working harder than ever before in extremely challenging circumstances and enhance and improve the care and experience of our patients and their families.”
The donation marks the latest from the gambling industry in supporting the NHS during the ongoing pandemic. Earlier this week, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) revealed that this weekend’s ‘Virtual Grand National’ (Saturday 4 April) raised ‘over £2.6 million’ in donations for NHS charities.
