Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital

The Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital is a voluntary organisation and charity which supports the Truro hospital to benefit patients and staff.

Friends volunteers help patients and visitors every day of the year. They help with directions, escort to appointments, offer complimentary drinks, sit as a meal-time companion; make pastoral visits. More information can be found on our Volunteer page.

In 2019, our volunteers generously gave over 100,000 hours of their time, and, among many other duties, gave away in excess of 76,000 complimentary drinks to patients and visitors.

Donations

Over the years the Friends have donated millions of pounds in equipment and comfort items for staff and patients, items that otherwise would not have been funded by the NHS.

Recent Grants donated to RCH

Specialist scanners - a head scanner for people with head injuries or a suspected stroke and a specialist ultrasound scanner so patients with endometriosis do not need to go to Plymouth for a diagnosis.

We supported the Phoenix Stroke Appeal by contributing equipment to support the provision of gold-standard care for stroke patients. We also supported the BABA Appeal to increase the safety of babies in the Neonatal Centre.

As part of our 70th anniversary celebrations we supported the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme for all over the age of 55 in Cornwall.

We provided scopes and a storage cabinet in the Endoscopy Unit.

We provided red tabards with “Do not Disturb” labels for nurses to wear on their ward drug rounds to make dispensing safer.

We donated £5,000 for a TOSCA machine to monitor oxygen levels in children.

In 2017 £80,000 was granted for an echo cardiograph for the Paediatric Department. Since this item of equipment, children and their families are able to have a video consultation in Cornwall and only if necessary, they can plan travel to Bristol for treatment. Since the donation it has benefitted families financially, saved time in travelling and ensured that children are regularly able to have their hearts monitored up to the age of 16.

These donation grants are made possible by:

Visitors supporting our Coffee Bar in Tower Block at Royal Cornwall Hospital.

General public generously donating in one of our collecting tins.

“Friends” leaving us a legacy in their Will.

Supporting one of our many fundraising efforts. e.g. Coffee mornings, Film shows, Golf days; National Cream Tea Day; Tombolas.

Generosity of local businesses making donations to our larger fund-raising events.

Public donations.