£1 million windfall for Arran hospital
The Arran War Memorial Hospital has received a £1 million windfall from a mystery benefactor.
The 17-bed Lamlash hospital is run by NHS Ayrshire and Arran, which confirmed that a ‘generous donation’ had been received by the hospital’s endowment fund.
The story first appeared in the Sunday Mail at the weekend, which said the donation had been left in a will, but this has not been independently verified.
A donation to the hospital endowment fund means that the a gift has to be invested and only the income earned on that gift can be spent for a specific purpose.
Health officials say that since the donation is still being finalised they are unable to say where the money, said to be a seven-figure sum, has come from or how it is going to be spent. That could take several months.
An NHS source was quoted by the paper as saying: ‘It is a massive cash injec-
tion for a hospital of this size and will go a long way to safeguarding its future.’
As well as providing 17 inpatient beds, the hospital has an accident and emergency department, maternity, and a range of outpatient services. It is staffed by the island’s GPs supported by other professions, both visiting and inhouse.
The hospital first opened its doors in 1922 on land gifted by the Marquis and Marchioness of Graham as a memorial to the island’s 81 soldiers who died during the First World War.
Stephen Brown, interim director of the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, told the
Banner: ‘NHS Ayrshire and Arran can confirm that Arran War Memorial Hospital has received a generous donation to their endowment fund.
‘The donation is still is in the process of being finalised, therefore we cannot comment further at this time.’