Charities and Fundraising

NHS Lothian is extremely grateful for the support that it receives from various charities. These charities help NHS Lothian, its hospitals and patients with important work that is not covered by NHS funding.

This policy provides a framework for engagement with these charities.

This policy seeks to ensure that NHS Lothian is maximising the support it gives to its Official Charity, NHS Lothian Charity (the Charity) – and thereby to its patients and staff – through the opportunities it can provide to reach potential donors and supporters.

The Charity’s Fundraising Team is the fundraising unit for NHS Lothian; a resource for staff, patients, families, or members of the public who wish to raise money for NHS Lothian or its hospitals, wards and services.

NHS Lothian has a very strong working partnership with its official charity, and with a limited number of other ‘Associated’ Charities which were formed to support specific areas of NHS Lothian. In addition, NHS Lothian may from time to time enter formal partnerships with external ‘Supporting’ Charities to support specific services or developments. Full definitions are provided within this document for the Official NHS Lothian Charity, Associated, and Supporting Charities linked to NHS Lothian.

The Charity will develop and maintain NHS Lothian’s Register of Associated and Supporting Charities. NHS Lothian will only engage with those charities entered in the register.