King’s head of social work, David Glover, applied to the Charity’s 2022 Crown Fund award scheme to take psychosocial team’s care even further. He wanted to create a critical care sustenance fund to provide emergency support to families in crisis – many of whom arrive without money or a place to stay when a relative is brought to the unit.
We thought his idea was a brilliant one and were delighted to award the Crown Fund grant to help him realise his project. The initiative is now up and running and, by focusing on the patient and understanding their individual needs, David and the team are making a huge difference to people’s lives.
From bringing families together at the end of life, to helping a patient who is homeless feel safer through the gift of a mobile phone, to making sure a family member has enough money to travel to the hospital, the critical sustenance fund is making life a little easier for anxious patients and families.
David Glover said: “We would regularly see families arriving in the CCU with no money, no toiletries, or sleeping on the floor. Sometimes nurses would buy them food because they couldn’t bear to see families struggle.
“But now, thanks to the Charity, we have funding to support those in greatest need, organising accommodation for them near the hospital, paying for their bus or train travel, and helping them with food and clothing vouchers. These things don’t cost huge amounts of money, but they can really make a difference.
“We see vulnerability every single day. The Charity has really helped us to address some of the inequality that can be a barrier to patients and families, preventing them from having access to the basics."
Critical care patients and their families often need additional support, including help with post-traumatic stress, long-term psychological support, end of life planning or practical arrangements like emergency childcare. Thanks to generous donations from King's College Hospital Charity supporters and a charitable grant from NHS Charities Together, the first King's multidisciplinary psychosocial team was formed, providing vital support for patients in the critical care unit. Read the full story