A DONOR from Fife has gifted an incredible £500,000 to support patients and healthcare staff in the efforts to tackle coronavirus in the Kingdom.

NHS Fife was last week notified that this incredible donation had been made to the Fife Health Board Endowment Fund to support the local response to coronavirus.

The benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has asked the funds be used immediately in providing additional support for patients and the healthcare staff working tirelessly to care for them.

The Fife Health Board Endowment Fund’s Board of Trustees held a virtual meeting on Friday where the donation was discussed. Work is now underway with healthcare staff to determine how the donation can be used to provide maximum benefit in the immediate response to the virus, and also how it may also be used to create a lasting legacy in the treatment of the virus in the longer term.

Announcements will be made in the coming weeks once plans have been agreed on specifically how the donation is to be used.

Cowdenbeath woman, Tricia Marwick, who is the chair of the Endowment Fund’s Board of Trustees in addition to her role as chair of Fife Health Board, said of the donation: “This is a breathtaking act of generosity and will make such a difference to patients in Fife, and the healthcare staff working tirelessly to care for them.

“From the outset of this pandemic we have sought to support patients and staff in any way that we can. This donation will enable us to expand this support much further at a time when it is needed most.

“The generosity of local people, whether from individuals or local businesses, has been overwhelming. We are blown away by the support we have received, and continue to receive. This support has been very much appreciated by our healthcare staff and provided great comfort as they go about providing the best care they can for local people here in Fife.”

The Fife Health Board Endowment Fund is a registered charity which funds a range of initiatives to benefit the patients, carers and staff of NHS Fife. The charity is funded entirely through donations and supports programmes aimed at health improvement and disease prevention.

The Endowment Fund is separate to the Fife Health Board and its monies cannot be used to provide core health services. In the last five years, the Fife Health Board Endowment Fund has allocated over £4 million towards its charitable objectives.

Those wishing to donate can specify exactly how they wish their donation to be used, such as for research purposes, to purchase a specific piece of equipment or to benefit a particular ward or department.