By Julie Thallon, Chair

This week is Remember A Charity Week, a national campaign that highlights the impact of leaving a gift in your will. For us at the Patients Association, these gifts are more than generous donations. They are promises that the support we give patients today will continue long into the future.

In 2023 and 2024, we received three generous legacies. Together, they brought in vital income that allowed us to strengthen our core work: giving patients clear guidance and support as they try to navigate a health and care system that can feel overwhelming.

How gifts in wills reach patients

One of the main ways legacy income helps is through our national helpline. Every weekday, our advisors pick up the phone or open the email inbox to hear from patients and families. On the other end are patients and families who may be worried about delayed treatment, confused by their medical records, unsure how to raise concerns with their GP or hospital, or any other kind of enquiry. Behind each call or email is a person with a problem that feels urgent and personal. Sometimes we’re a source of information, sometimes a sounding board, and often we’re standing with them when they feel alone.

Amy’s* story

One caller, Amy, reached us after struggling for months to arrange surgery for cataracts in both eyes. Alongside her sight loss, she lives with claustrophobia and PTSD. Her consultant recommended a single prescription of medication to help her cope with the procedure, but her GP practice refused. The operation became impossible, and she faced the prospect of losing more of her vision.

When Amy contacted us, one of our advisors took on her case. Letters went to her GP, and to her MP. Disability rights were raised, but the practice remained unmoved. With her consent, we supported her through the difficult step of registering with a new GP so she could get the care she urgently needed.

How you can help

Stories like Amy’s are not unusual. Each call or email gives us a clear view of what patients are facing right now. Taken together, those stories reveal patterns: barriers that appear again and again across the country. We take that evidence to NHS leaders and government so that individual struggles help shape change for the wider population.

Gifts in wills make that possible. They ensure that when someone reaches out, there is always a voice ready to answer. They allow us to listen and offer guidance while also giving patients a platform in national conversations about health and care.

We are proud to stand with over 200 other organisations in the Remember A Charity coalition. Together, we are encouraging more people to consider legacy giving, not only as a way to support causes they care about, but also as a step that can bring tax benefits while making a lasting difference.

---

Find out more

If you would like to know more about leaving a gift to the Patients Association, you can visit the Remember A Charity website or contact us directly. We will be glad to talk it through.

And if you would prefer to support us right now, donations can also be made through our website.

With your support, patients will continue to be heard and supported, today and in the years to come.

 

*Name has been changed.