Join us (or sponsor us) in a Fancy Dress Extravaganza on 26^th March 2015, to raise funds for the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s paediatric surgical robot, Pluto.

Your boldest and bravest CCM colleagues will be donning fancy dress in the office to raise money for the appeal as part of Barclay’s Compliance Citizenship Day. Strong rumours indicate we will be visited by Carmen, Bonnie and Clyde, Captain Jack Sparrow and a Prima Ballerina amongst others.

Please donate now to support your colleagues and raise money for a great cause.

WHY COO CHANGE SUPPORT THE PLUTO APPEAL:

Some of us know what it is to face the prospect of intricate surgery on small children.  We wouldn’t like any child to miss out on getting the best possible care.

Paediatric surgery is incredibly complex and difficult, not just because our little ones are so fragile. There is immense difficulty in working on tiny organs carrying out precision tasks with adult hands – even the best adult hands in the world.

The Pluto Robot changes that: sophisticated technology that enables surgeons to do their best work – with reduced impact on the tiny patients, leading to more successful outcomes and quicker recovery times. However, when a paediatric surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital applied to buy one, he was told the NHS was not able to cover the cost.

Naturally, visionaries are undeterred by obstacles: he gathered support to launch The Children’s Hospital Trust Fund (www.chtrustfund.org.uk) and succeeded in raising the funding to buy the first such robot in the South of England. There is only one other in the UK.

Unfortunately, since this piece of medical equipment has been purchased by a charity on behalf of the hospital, NHS funding does not cover the maintenance and operations costs – so fundraising for Pluto is an ongoing commitment.

This tool benefits more than just the local community. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is “lead hospital” for paediatric surgery in North West London handling major paediatric surgical cases for 10 hospitals in London, with more than 6,000 paediatric surgical patients annually. It is one of the largest providers of children’s services in London with an estimated 85,000 children and babies being seen at the hospital every year.  

It is not just the families of London-based Barclays colleagues who will benefit should they ever need to have their children sent to surgery – many cases are referred here from other parts of the UK and overseas.

MORE INFORMATION – See press coverage of the Pluto Robot’s impact:

Pluto Appeal:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro3IBeYu-Bg

Pluto Appeal website: www.theplutoappeal.com

Children’s Hospital Trust Fund website: www.chtrustfund.org.uk