The money has come from a partnership between the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Foundation and LV=, a leading UK insurance company that specialises in pensions and retirement.
Of the donation, £25,000 will be earmarked for the RCN Foundation LV= Quality Improvement Project Grants Programme for nursing and midwifery. This scheme is set to improve patient care and safety, as well as address health inequalities and improve outcomes for nurses and midwives’ wellbeing.
Grants worth up to £2,500 will be available for up to 10 projects across the UK, with priority being given to addressing health inequalities in deprived areas.
To some give context, the latest figures from The King’s Fund show those who live in the most deprived areas of the country can expect to live 18 years less than those in more fortunate regions.
As well as aiming to bridge the gap on health inequalities, LV= have also donated an additional £15,000 to fund an education grant specifically for healthcare support workers across health and social care sector. The news comes as the Government have also announced plans, which include the ‘Made with Care’ campaign, to introduce better professional development within the care sector to make it a more desirable role.
The RCN Foundation and LV= have a partnership that dates back over 30 years, so the fact they will be continuing working together has been greatly received.
‘The RCN Foundation has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with LV=, and support that LV= has shown to nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers is brilliant and undoubtably will make a vast difference to patient care and the health of the nation,’ Deepa Korea, Director of the RCN Foundation said. ‘Their generous support and partnership will enable the RCN Foundation to effectively deliver a programme of education grants, not only to fund much needed quality improvement projects, but to also support healthcare support workers to develop their practice across health and social care.’
The use of the word ‘generous’ in the above quotation couldn’t be more apt. Alongside offering £15,000 to fund an education grant for healthcare workers, the current RCN Foundation LV= Education grant offers up to £1,600 to build knowledge around an array of subjects including phlebotomy, cannulation and wound care.
Both grants are due to open at the end of March in conjunction with the RCN Foundation Spring round of education grants. You don’t have to be a member of the RCN to apply – more information can be accessed here.
Photo by Viki Mohamad via UnSplash
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