From Mark Zuckerberg to the Rothschild family, wealthy philanthropists have helped build hospitals around the world… Now, Jersey is hoping to persuade its own high-net-worth residents to do the same, Express has learned.
A scheme to help philanthropic Islanders donate money to fund medical services, equipment and facilities in Jersey is being set up by the Health Department.
Newly re-elected Health Minister Tom Binet said that the concept of donor-funded healthcare was common in the UK and worldwide, and the new initiative was designed to encourage generous Islanders to keep their philanthropy local.
He said: “At the moment, Southampton [General Hospital] does a lot of philanthropic work and is aiming to raise £60m to invest in facilities there.
“That includes coming to Jersey to hold fundraising events for high-net-worth [individuals].
“We now have a member of staff at Health who specialises in this area so all we have done – without wanting to detract from the essential services that Southampton provide – is seek to encourage local residents, who might have moved to the Island as 2(i)e’s, to invest in their own health service.”
£25m target
Senator Binet added that this was now a formal project.
“There’s a whole project going on: we are initially aiming to raise £25 million,” he explained.
“This won’t be shaking a tin in town, but rather promoting a concept and helping people to invest into a particular project.”
Over in Southampton…
In 2017, the couple donated £1.3m to a University of Southampton campaign to build a Centre for Cancer Immunology. Mr Vernon attended the university.
“The University of Southampton is at the heart of research that touches the lives of so many people,” Mr Vernon said the latest donation.
“It also holds a special place for Jersey too, as countless islanders depend on Southampton’s specialist medical services.
“This new centre represents a remarkable chance to go further than ever before, deepen these vital connections and create better outcomes for patients.”
Other donors included Coldplay drummer Will Champion, whose parents were senior academics at the university, and an anonymous Guernsey resident who gave £2m.
…and further afield
UK hospitals benefiting from wealthy benefactors include Guy’s in London, named after publisher Thomas Guy, who amassed a fortune from the South Sea Bubble of 1720, and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, funded by philanthropist and art collector Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild and named in memory of his wife.
Philanthropy in healthcare is even more common in the more privately funded US system. The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, for example, was built following a $75m donation by the Facebook founder and his wife.
Meanwhile the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University was built after a $70m donation from the wife of Hewlett-Packard co-founder David.
