Further £260k of COVID-19 Fund allocated for healthcare projects

Just over a quarter of a million pounds from the COVID-19 fund will be allocated to areas including robotic surgery, safeguarding, and the hospital's maternity ward.

This has been announced by the Government on the sixth anniversary of the first lockdown on the Rock. 

The COVID-19 Fund was established from donations made by people and businesses to support health services during the pandemic.

This round of allocations from the fund, at a total of £260,000, has been announced after the end of the second application process.

Around £150,000 will go towards purchasing robotic surgical technology for the Health Authority, in addition to the funds already donated by charities to the wider project.

The Government says around £44,000 will be used for one-off set-up costs to introduce a safeguarding helpline for Gibraltar.

£38,000 will go towards refurbishment works within the Maternity Ward.

£35,000 will be used to continue a campaign against stigma over mental health, started in the first round of funding allocations.

31 thousand pounds will go towards a public health advertising programme.

And, infection prevention and control training will receive £20,000, with a further £10,000 funding a postgraduate diploma in infection prevention and control.

The COVID-19 fund referral panel, comprising three healthcare professionals and two laypeople, has also agreed to support improved accessibility for the hospital garden, subject to final costings.

37 applications were received in this round of funding.

The total amount allocated from the fund is now around £913,000.

The Government says the remaining balance will be reserved for future health and care initiatives, with another round of applications to open after the summer.