Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals will become the first hospital trust in Sussex to take delivery of thousands of Hospital Gift Loyalty cards next week.
The cards will be given out to staff, patients and members of the public on 7 July during a launch at Brighton’s Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Representatives from Brighton & Hove City Council, Legal & General and other local businesses will also be attending the launch to offer their support to the scheme.
The national scheme allows people to raise money for their local hospitals by shopping online from retailers who have agreed to take part, including high-street names such as Asda, Next, Debenhams and John Lewis. Rather than collect reward points, every time customers buy online with Hospital Gift a cash donation is generated for their chosen hospital trust.
Shoppers need to register their support for Brighton and Sussex University hospitals at www.hospitalgift.co.uk. Half of the commission Hospital Gift receives is donated to the BSUH charitable fund with the other half going towards running costs.
Organisers behind the project believe it could raise a minimum of £25,000 in the first year for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital, the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital and the Hurstwood Park neurosciences centre in Haywards Heath.
“The extra revenue the scheme will generate will help to fund new equipment and improve facilities for patients in all our hospitals,” says BSUH Chief Executive Duncan Selbie.
For the first time in the country, local businesses have agreed to give discounts to Hospital Gift Card holders
The Trevor Sorbie Hair Salon in Brighton’s Lanes is offering Hospital Gift Loyalty card holders 10% off all its services, while The Rock Inn pub in Kemp Town is offering a 10% discount on food.
Two of Brighton & Hove’s main employers, the City Council and Legal & General, are also lending support to the scheme, raising awareness amongst their staff and displaying boxes of cards in their buildings and offices.
“Legal & General employees have close links with the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and have raised money for equipment in its Respiratory Unit in the past. The Hospital Gift scheme gives us a further opportunity to make a difference by raising funds for all our local hospitals,” says Frances Borrer, Legal & General’s Community Involvement Manager
Brighton’s Councillor Ken Norman, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health, says: “The council is a major employer in the city and as such we want to give our health partners as much help as possible. Not only do they provide award-winning health care, but they help to ensure we have the best nurses and doctors for the future.”
Notes to editors
For more information contact the BSUH communications team:
Rachel Clinton: 01273 664911 (rachel.clinton@bsuh.nhs.uk)
Martha Robinson: 01273 664757 (martha.robinson@bsuh.nhs.uk )
Photos & interviews Representatives from Brighton and Hove City Council, Legal & General and local businesses will be available for media interviews and photography, together with hospital staff and the organisers of the Hospital Gift Loyalty Scheme, at 11.00am at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital on Tuesday 7 July 2009.
For more information about the Hospital Gift Loyalty scheme, contact Gareth Evans on 023 80 219040.
