Glossary and appendices

Glossary

Biomedical Research Centre
This shows we have been given a five-year grant for world-class specialist research. We are the only such centre concentrating on paediatrics.

Bone marrow transplant
The replacement of the cells in a child which generate the blood and immune system, to cure them of a life-threatening disease.

Cardiac/cardiorespiratory
Involving the heart or heart and lung.  

Commissioners
These are NHS bodies that buy our services on behalf of patients. Many services are paid for by individual Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), local NHS bodies. In London there is one PCT for each borough. Some more regional or specialist services are paid for by groups of PCTs. Some national services are funded directly from national funds by a body called the National Commissioning Group.

Craniofacial surgery
Surgery on the skull and face bones.

Healthcare for London
This is an NHS programme run by the capital’s PCTs to improve NHS services for patients. It draws strongly on the analysis by Lord Darzi, A Framework for Action, which was published in July 2007. One principle is to bring care closer to home and to less intensive settings where possible but to concentrate certain specialist services into centres of excellence where this will improve safety quality and sustainability. By sustainability we mean being able to deliver the care and the associated training reliably, to a high standard and for the foreseeable future.

Gastroenterology
Treating the stomach and colon.

Gene therapy
Implanting genes to treat or cure diseases.

Neurosciences
Studying or treating the brain and spine including brain and spine surgery.

Members' Council
The predominantly elected body which represents patients, parents and carers, the public, staff and other interested parties. The legal name is the Board of Governors. People on the council will be called Councillors or, the legal term, Governors.

NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA)
This body assesses the safety and quality of NHS trusts in order to see how much of a risk they are. A good rating shows we are a good risk and reduces our insurance premium.

Stakeholders
People we work closely with including our patients, families, staff, supporters, commissioners, the doctors who refer us patients, other colleagues in the NHS, patient support groups, charities and many more.

UCL Partners
UCL Partners is an alliance for world-class research between University College London (UCL), Great Ormond Street Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London Hospitals,The Royal Free Hospital and other hospitals in north and east London. UCL Partners has been designated as an Academic Health Science Centre by the Department of Health.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
A wide-ranging international agreement, which the UK has signed, including rights of children and young people to be consulted and engaged on services affecting them.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Limits on our future ability to increase our international income.

The Foundation Trust rules limit the proportion of income we can make from our international work to the same level as 2002/03. The Health and Social Care Bill, currently before Parliament, proposes changes to these arrangements.

Our international work largely involves treating sick children sent here by foreign governments who cannot provide the same care in their own country. This income directly benefits the NHS work as it contributes additional funding for our core NHS services enabling us to treat more children on the NHS than would otherwise be the case.

Appendix 2: Why we need the redevelopment

Currently one of our clinical buildings dates back to the 1930s – facilities are cramped, outdated and inefficient. The current phase of our redevelopment comprises two major clinical buildings and new state-of-the-art imaging facilities. It will ensure that the majority of our inpatients are in modern, family-friendly surroundings with improved accommodation.

The buildings will be flexible and efficient, allowing the delivery of effective services. Phase 2 of the redevelopment will increase our capacity so that we can deliver up to 20 per cent more activity.

Appendix 3: Importance of the charity

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity fundraises to support the work of the hospital and the UCL Institute of Child Health. The money it raises funds medical research, new equipment, family welfare and our major redevelopment programme.

It would be almost impossible to deliver the necessary site improvements by borrowing. The charity will need to raise a further £75 million to complete our immediate needs for redevelopment. It has significantly increased its support for research and we are now the UK's largest charitable funder of medical research dedicated to paediatrics. The current economic climate remains a challenge and the charity will continue to rely on the generosity of the general public to enable it to support the work of the hospital.

For more information visit www.gosh.org or call 020 7239 3000.