Medical Matters: Fundraising that improves health and happiness of hospital patients

Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity is your local NHS charity, and we are doing great things to improve the health and happiness of patients in our hospitals and in the community.  

The money donated to the charity is used to support people in Torbay and South Devon. It funds the little things that make a big difference, like arts and crafts materials for children, comfy parent beds so parents can sleep by their child’s side and specialist chairs for patients undergoing chemotherapy. 

These specialist chairs make a significant difference to patients who are undergoing treatment, many of whom attend the unit multiple times a week and can be sat for up to nine hours at a time. These new chairs offer greatly enhanced comfort to our patients but are only possible to fund through the charity. 

We also fund healing environments and improved hospital spaces for patients and staff, such as the outside space by the coronary care unit which is currently in development thanks to a gift in a will and the refurbishment of Louisa Cary ward with a great new underwater theme, funded through donations and funds raised. 

Many of the donations received by the charity are from patients who decide to donate or raise funds in memory of a loved one, to say thank you for care received or to ‘give back (or ‘pay it forward’!). 

James Houghton decided to do just this when his twins Ivy and Mabel arrived into the world last year and earlier than anticipated. 

Thanks to donations received by the charity, the dedicated team on the Special Baby Care Unit was able to care for Ivy and Mabel in the unit’s new twin cot. This enabled them to be next to one another while still needing constant care.

James says about this time: “They spent their first three weeks receiving the most exceptional care from some of the most dedicated NHS staff we've been fortunate to meet. It was a really tough situation for us as a family and it could've been much harder had it not been for the amazing Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) team. We were fortunate that we only had to spend three weeks in SCBU but some families face longer and more complex journeys.”

After this experience, James has decided to take part in the London Marathon in April 2025, raising funds to support more babies needing the unit, funding sensory and developmental resources, muslins and swaddle cloths and continuing the development of the parent areas in the ward.  

The charity funds items that can't be covered by the NHS or aren't deemed essential, but which make a significant difference to the care and treatment of patients and support for their families.

Donations and funds raised support in all areas, from improved equipment and furniture, to comforts and small gestures which really make our patients feel cared for. 

Legacies to the charity help us to really push the limits of what's possible, going above and beyond to transform the experiences patients receive at our hospitals, wherever the need is greatest.

If you’d like to support or raise funds, we’d love to hear from you. We have charity places in local events such as the Great West Run and Inflatable 5k and are also part of the ‘Skydive for Free’ scheme with Skydive Buzz at Dunkeswell airport. 

To find out more please visit our website at this address: https://charity.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/ or call the charity team on 07557 481459. 

James Houghton’s JustGiving page can be found online: www.justgiving.com/page/james-houghton-1735923842358