The Dreadnought Hospital Fund

The Dreadnough Unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ is supported by donations to the Charity's Dreadnought Hospital Fund. The Unit provides priority hospital treatment for merchant seafarers.

Priority hospital treatment is provided because duty often requires long absence and hospital inaccessibility, and by the very nature of the job demands peak physical fitness before an active position can be assumed. There is a dedicated Dreadnought dentist and the Unit is able to provide emergency medevac services.

Captain Ian Gibb remembers the favourable treatment he received twice at St Thomas’: “I was seen within a matter of days. This is a marvellous thing to think about when you hear about local waiting lists. This could have been something really rather nasty, so I was relieved to get an appointment so quickly.”

The Dreadnought Unit is run as an NHS service, with some £1.8 million available to pay for treatment and running costs. Donations to the Dreadnought Hospital Fund are used for specialist equipment and environmental improvements as well as a committed team of administrators.

Donations have provided the Sarah Orthopaedic Ward with an anatomical teaching model of the knee joint and an oxygen therapy kit for resuscitation on Page Ward.

The administration unit has recently been refurnished with money from the Dreadnought Hospital Fund and houses a private lounge for Dreadnought patients.

To make a donation or find out how your legacy could help, please use the secure donation form, or contact the Fundraising Team on Tel: 020 7188 7744, e-mail: Fundraising Team.