The Friends  of Guy’s Hospital Annual Report 2001

Chairman’s Report

The Friends continue to fulfil their obligations to the patients and medical and nursing staff of Guys and happily the overall state of our finances remains sound. However, the continued downward trend in individual membership presents a worrying problem for the future and has only been recently addressed. 

Having ascertained that confidentiality would not be breached if patients were approached through the trust rather than directly by the Friends, it was agreed that departing patients would be given an information leaflet with a pre-paid addressed envelope inviting contributions and encouraging membership. Progress towards this end was unfortunately delayed because of reorganisation of the Information Services Department who were to be responsible for overseeing the handing out of leaflets to departing patients by the ward clerks. The alternative of approaching patients some time after discharge was considered but thought to entail more work and was therefore deferred for the time being. It was agreed that the scheme for recruiting new members and soliciting contributions currently in operation would be reviewed after three months, to judge it’s viability, and,  if progress was considered to be unsatisfactory, to look for other solutions.

 Thanks are very much due to Delyth Hay, our Vice Chairman, who was largely responsible for unravelling the complexities of the Data Protection Act, and for pursuing negotiations with Dr Brian Ayers, Medical Director, and James Sharkey, representing the Information Services Department, to the present state of affairs. George Scott, our previous chairman, also had a hand in clarifying the situation vis-à-vis data protection, and to him we offer sincere thanks. The Friends are grateful to Dr Ayres, Mr Sharkey, Mrs Brockett and the ward clerical staff for their co-operation in getting the scheme off the ground and overseeing it.

 Delyth Hay is about to depart for Belfast where her husband Rod has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science; we offer both congratulations and best wishes for the future. I would like especially to pay tribute to Delyth for her unflagging energy and industry over the last year, during which time she has shouldered many of my responsibilities off her own bat. She has immersed herself quietly and efficiently in the day-to-day activities of the Friends, dealing with various hiccups as they arise. Not least has been her involvement on a regular basis in the Flower Shop, which has seen a renaissance thanks to the hard work of all who keep it going. The fact that it now sells bric-a-brac and second hand clothes, items that are increasingly in popular demand, has been a factor in its renewed success. Delyth is unfortunately stepping down as Vice-Chairman because of the impending move to Belfast but I am happy to report that she has agreed to time her home visits to coincide with the dates of committee meetings which she will attend as a regular member.

We are grateful to Mike Watson, orthopaedic surgeon, who has kindly agreed to take on the mantle of the Vice Chairmanship, and wish him every success in the position.

 In the last year the Friends supported a number of worthwhile ventures financially, the most notable of which was a request of £30,000 from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery under the aegis of Professor Mark McGurk. This was to fund the acquisition of electronic digital equipment for the purpose of enhancing the images of micro endoscopes, which are passed into the salivary ducts to locate calculi, which are to be destroyed by lithotripsy.  This type of treatment, which has been hampered by the lack of satisfactory imaging in the past, is now breaking new ground and puts the Guy’s department in the forefront of this area of expertise.

 Denise Mabey put in a bid for an autokeratorefractor costing £12,995 on behalf of the ophthalmology department. This sophisticated piece of equipment, which was furnished by the Friends, allows for fast, accurate corneal mapping, refraction and keratometry in patients who are about to undergo cataract surgery, and will therefore benefit the patients and streamline the service offered to them.

 A request for £1,602 from the Department of Breast and Plastic Surgery to provide equipment for improving the cosmetic results of breast reconstruction after cancer surgery was approved, as were others (£3,700) in an altogether different vein, such as support of the Nurses League Journal, toys for the nursery and flowers for the chapel. It can thus be seen that the Friends assisted ventures varying from the provision of high-tech equipment to the simplest of amenities.

 The Services Branch, under the Chairmanship of Margaret Roberts, have been as busy as ever raising funds from their monthly stalls, fetes and the annual raffle to support individual projects and their activities are the subject of a separate report.

 In terms of future ventures our President, Lord Harris, has kindly offered to try and raise a substantial capital sum to support a project of major significance, which would highlight the excellence of Guys in the clinical and scientific fields. To this end I have approached various departmental heads inviting them to submit proposals for individual projects, or pieces of equipment, for consideration by a subcommittee, after which, one will be selected for funding. To date a number of interesting and exciting projects have been submitted and will be the subject of discussion before a final decision is taken as to who will be the beneficiary.

 Mr & Mrs Glazebrook, long-standing members of the executive committee, tendered their resignations last summer having been regular and devoted attendees. We were sorry to see them go and thank them for their loyal service.

 Many others have laboured on behalf of the Friends. Jeff Simpson, as always, has kept a watchful eye on our accounts and has kept the committee abreast of developments. Dr George Mack has gone to endless trouble to formulate an approach to business firms by way of inviting them to participate in one of two levels of corporate membership, with a view to increasing revenue, for which we are grateful. Once again we would like to thank Alan Campbell for his stewardship of the Trading Company and Peter Hiscock for establishing the Friends’ website in which our aims and activities are described and also helping with the preparation and production of the annual report. Anne Rigby has been faultless in minute taking on behalf of the committee and has been instrumental in advising which requests might, conceivably, be looked upon favourably by the charitable foundation when we are unable to help. She has more than earned our gratitude.

 Thanks are also due to Susan Taleghany, the voluntary services manager, for her help and Margaret Roberts and her colleagues for their devoted service. Pat Hutton and her assistant Carole are the hub of the operation and without them the Friends would grind to a halt. Their efficiency, consideration and tact are legendary and I am personally indebted to them as I am also to George Scott whose door is always open when I need help or advice.

 To those who have served the Friends and have not been mentioned I offer apologies and sincere thanks

 Omar Shaheen

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Services Branch Report

 This past year we have been fund raising for the Department of Oral Medicine in the Dental Hospital here at Guy's. A few years ago we helped them to purchase an intra - oral camera system that records a digital image of parts of the mouth, particularly parts inaccessible to the naked eye. This has been a great success. Many of the patients attend clinics over a period of years and being able to monitor the condition of their mouth so closely has proved beneficial both to the patients and the doctors, as well as being invaluable for teaching. Professor Stephen Challacombe wanted to extend this to include the Pathology service and surgical treatment. The required ancillary equipment would store the pictures in a portable computer database so that the patients could see them in the clinic. When surgery was necessary the camera would be able to record an image of the Pathology specimen. This would be so much more effective than a written report.

 After an absence of several years we were at last able to hold our Fete in the Park. The weather was kind to us and we were able to spread the stalls around under the trees. What a difference it made, this together with the disco music lent a festive air. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who made a contribution to the event. Those who manned the stalls deserved special mention for their hard work both in preparation and on the day.

 Our Christmas Fair was held as usual in November in Atrium 1. The Monson School Steel Band were there to play for us. The children were delightful, the sound of their music echoed through the hospital corridors and did much to draw attention to the event. Our loyal band of workers put their best efforts into making a success of the day and our thanks go to them all.

We are committed to perpetuating our fund raising and providing a recreational Library service to the patients and staff of the hospital. We offer our most sincere thanks for the many generous donations of toys, books, bric-a-brac, hand made items and unwanted gifts. We would be unable to raise funds without this generosity and sincerely hope that it will continue.

 This year we will be fund raising for the Department of Thoracic Surgery, they wish to be able to purchase an Ultrasonic Instrument Cleaner. We hope that as in the past you will give us your support.

Dates for your diary:

Summer Fete    last Thursday in May

Christmas Fair   last Thursday in November

Monthly Stall     first Thursday of each month

Book Stall         Second Thursday of each month

Margaret Roberts, Chairman Services Branch

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Testimonials thanking The Friends for their contributions

• From Denise Mabey  - Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon

I would like to express my gratitude to the Friends for their great generosity in providing an autokeratorefractor for the eye department.

This expensive piece of equipment allows us to take a map of the front surface of the eye. From the map we can work out how strong an implant is needed in cataract surgery and where we should place our incisions. It is also of use in monitoring people with progressive conditions of the cornea, such as keratoconus.

The great benefit to our patients at Guys will be felt in the New Year. Thanks to the machine we will be able to give many of our patients a date for their cataract surgery at their first visit. Previously they have been sent to St Thomas' for measurements on an older and somewhat unreliable alternative, thus causing an extra hospital visit.

Again heartfelt thanks for helping us to streamline our cataract service to the many elderly recipients of sight-restoring surgery.

• From Professor Mark McGurk MD FRCS DLO FDS RCS. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,

 On behalf of our team I would like to thank Friends of Guy's for their kind award which has allowed us to purchase an endoscopy system for visualizing the internal environment of the salivary glands. The bulk of the equipment has been received. Our initial experience has been very positive; it is relatively easy to identify the salivary stones and break them with a laser beam aimed through the endoscope.

 The equipment has given Guy's the advantage of being the only hospital in the UK to treat salivary stones in this way. We recently presented our results at an international conference in Geneva and are one of the leading exponents of this technique in the world. Our data show that in the last four years we have seen 250 patients with salivary stones and removed only four submandibular glands.

 Minimally invasive techniques are a great advantage to the patient. We are grateful that the Friends of Guy's have helped us to head the way in developing this new field of clinical practice.

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Executive Committee’s Report of the Activities

 The Executive Committee present their report for the year ended 30 September 2001.

 Constitution

 The Friends of Guy’s Hospital is a registered Charity, number 264150.  The Charity was formed by an amalgamation of The Guild of Ex-Patients and Friends of Guy’s Hospital, and Guy’s Hospital Ladies Association, and traces its origin back to 1895.

 Objects, organisation and activities 

The Charity provides amenities for patients and staff.  Medical research is also supported and substantial grants are made for works of improvement which benefit patients, staff and visiting relatives.  The Charity is able, from time to time, to purchase medical and surgical equipment which Guy’s Hospital is not able to buy from its own budget. The Charity’s wholly owned subsidiary, The Friends of Guy’s Trading Company Limited, operates a shop in the grounds of Guy’s Hospital selling flowers and gifts etc. 

Accounts 

The accounts for the year ended 30th September 2001 show that there was a surplus of income over expenditure of £40,904 (2000 – deficit £73,155).  The surplus has been added to the accumulated funds resulting in total assets amounting to £596,289 (2000- £558,385).  There is, however, a total commitment to grants of £106,174 (2000 - £87,695). 

Subscriptions and donations amounted to £50,291 (2000 - £38,210) which included £10,000 donated from the non charitable trading activities of The Friends of Guy’s Trading Company Limited, legacies £40,000 (2000 - £13,916) and investment and deposit account interest £27,599 (2000 - £29,554).  

Full details of all sources of income are shown in the statement of financial activities. The charity has not included in these financial statements £8,000 (2000 - £30,000) of legacy income due but not yet received. 

The financial position of The Friends of Guy’s Hospital is considered to be very sound, with ample assets to meet all known commitments.

Bankers 

National Westminster Bank plc London Bridge Branch, 10 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TT. 

Responsibilities of members of the Executive Committee 

The Articles of Constitution requires the members of the Executive Committee to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period.  In preparing those accounts the members of the Executive Committee are required to:- 

•  Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts;

• Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The members of the Executive Committee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 1993.  They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Chairman

Guy’s Hospital,

St. Thomas Street,

London SE1 9RT                                                                                   

Accounts

The following pages are taken from the accounts audited by W H Payne and Company of Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 OHA, a copy of which is available for inspection upon request to the secretary.

 Income and Expenditure Account for the Year ended 30th September 2001

Continuing activities               

All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities

 Total recognised gains and losses

The Charity has no recognised surpluses other than as detailed above.

 Balance Sheets as at 30^th September 2001

 Approved by the committee on 18^th January 2002

Non charitable trading activities - net income

 The Charity has a wholly owned subsidiary, The Friends of Guy’s Trading Company Limited, which is incorporated in the UK.  The company runs a shop in the grounds of Guy’s Hospital selling flowers and gifts.  A summary of the company’s trading results is shown below. 

 Continuing operations

None of the company’s activities were acquired or discontinued during the above two financial years.

 Total recognised gains and losses

The company has no recognised gains or losses other than the profit or loss for the above two financial years. 

 Individual research, medical committee and amenities grants for the year ended  30 September 2000 are as follows:-  

 Reconciliation of movement in funds 

 Guarantees and other financial commitments

 Grant Commitments

 At 30th September 2001, grants totalling £106,174 (2000 - £87,695) had been approved by the Executive Committee but had not been paid out. 

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Joining the Friends

 Anyone can join. You do not have to be an ex-patient, although many of our members are.

 The minimum subscription is £5 a year, but extra donations are greatly appreciated and will enable the Charity to continue its good work in supporting the hospital, its patients and staff in so many ways that are not available though the NHS. Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to ‘The Friends of Guy’s Hospital’ and sent to

The Secretary,

The Friends of Guy’s Hospital,

Level 2, Thomas Guy House,

Guy’s Hospital,

London,

SE1 9RT.

Information regarding Gift Aid for a minimum period of four years and of Legacies can be obtained from the Secretary as above (Telephone : 020 7407 1058).

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Executive committee who served during the year were

 Lord Harris of Peckham (President)

 Mrs D Hay (Vice Chairman)

 J R Simpson (Treasurer)

Mrs A Franklin co-opted member

 Professor R Hay and Her Honour Judge S Coates were appointed to the Executive committee in October 2001

Published by

The Friends of Guy’s Hospital

Level 2, Thomas Guy House

Guy’s Hospital

St. Thomas’ Street

London

SE1 9RT

Charity Registration Number : 264150

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