patient satisfaction rating of good, very good or excellent (Patient satisfaction survey carried out by Howard Warwick & Associates, Jan - Sept 2009)
Sponsorship
Charities and fundraising
Our UK business supported several charitable organisations through sponsorship and fundraising efforts, including walks, marathons, golf tournaments, coffee mornings and fancy dress days. To ensure that our hospitals maintain strong ties with their local communities, many of our charity events are locally focused, and we encourage our staff to be actively involved.
Corporate sponsorship
Hospital Initiatives
At a corporate level, our operating company, BMI Healthcare, supported the following organisations and campaigns:
The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) is England’s leading surgical and educational organisation and receives worldwide recognition. More than 6,000 delegates attend the College’s training courses each year. In addition, it is involved with surgical, hospital and patient audits to ensure that standards are maintained. The College also supports research by providing research fellowships.
BMI Healthcare is providing sponsorship over three years to support training and development programmes offered by the College to the next generation of consultant surgeons. Our sponsorship focuses on funding the College’s Educational Tutor in Orthopaedics, who is responsible for implementing a programme of skills development from basic surgical training to continuing professional development, as well as five bursaries for clinical training in orthopaedics.
Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is an academic organisation for general practitioners in the UK. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and represents general practitioners on education, training and standards issues. RCGP membership currently stands at just over 34,000.
In 2008/09, BMI Healthcare sponsored the annual National Primary Care Conference, a national showcase for the college, general practice and primary care.
The main initiatives supported at a hospital level focused on:
National health calendar
BMI Healthcare hospitals supported events on the national healthcare calendar that raise awareness of specific illnesses or health conditions and often provide early diagnosis screening opportunities. These included hypertension, hip replacement therapy, stress, allergies, prostate cancer, cervical and breast cancers, coronary artery calcium, moles and other skin blemishes.
Patient support groupsBMI Healthcare hospitals hosted and organised support groups for patients who have undergone cancer treatments as well as cosmetic and obesity surgery.
Up Front, a breast cancer support group based at BMI The Chiltern Hospital, was established in January 2005 by two specialist breast care nurses and five women who had breast cancer. Currently there are well over 200 members from the surrounding area who attend group support sessions.
A special event was held this year to mark the first anniversary of the weight loss surgery patient support groups at BMI Chelsfield Park Hospital and BMI The Alexandra Hospital. These were among the first hospitals to launch patient support groups in conjunction with the UK’s leading patient association for weight loss, the British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA).
Wellbeing of Women (WoW) raises money to invest in medical research and to support the development of specialist doctors and nurses working in the field of reproductive and gynaecological health. WoW was BMI Healthcare’s official charity partner
this year.
BMI Healthcare also supported the Healthy Women campaign, which draws attention to the things that every woman should know about her body, but might have been afraid to ask.
Cancer research
The cancer initiatives supported by employees and hospitals during the year included:
Breast Cancer Awareness charities
Breast Cancer Campaign
Breast Cancer Care
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Cancer Research UK
Children with Cancer Fund
Macmillan Cancer Support
Maggie’s Cancer Centres.
Kent Air Ambulance
Lemon Tree Foundation, Africa
National Blind Children’s Society
North London Hospice
Saint Luke’s Cheshire Hospice
Sport Relief
Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance service
White Lodge Centre in Chertsey
Heart health
Every year, all BMI Healthcare hospital employees participate in fundraising events organised by the British Heart Foundation and this year was no exception.
Other sponsorships and fundraising events
In addition, hospitals provided ongoing, ad hoc support to schools, children’s hospices and associations for the disabled.
