Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Annual Report and Accounts
Year ended 31 March 2025
Scottish Charity No: SC053875
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity Name:
Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Charity Registration Number:
SC053875
Principal Address and OSCR Contact Address:
Royal Edinburgh Hospital Morningside Terrace Edinburgh EH10 5HF
Trustees:
The Trustees who served during the year and to the date of this report were as follows:
| StephenMuirhead | Chair (to August 2024) | |
|---|---|---|
| Alison Rankin | Chair (to February 2025) | |
| StephenMuirhead | Chair (from March 2025) | |
| LarryOsborne | (from February 2024) | |
| Cathy Robertson | (from December 2024) | |
| Maggie Mclvor | (from December2024 | |
| Co~~-o~~ptedMembers: | Cathy Robertson | (to December 2024) |
| Maggie Mclvor | (to December 2024 | |
| Staff: | Simon Porter | |
| CarolynMacpherson | ||
| Katarzyna Wojcik | (from October 2023) | |
| MORE~~-P~~ Staff(Mind Our Rights | ||
| Education Project): | Neha Bhatnagar ~~— ~~ | (FromAugust 2021) |
| MartinMcAlpine~~—~~(FromMay 2022) | ||
| Greig Irving ~~— ~~(From August 2023) | ||
| Website: | ~~www.rehpatientscouncil.org.uk~~ | |
| Facebook: | ~~http://www.facebook.com/rehpatientscouncil~~ | |
| Email: | ~~info@rehpatientscouncil.org.uk~~ |
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Trustees’ Annual Report
Structure, Governance and Management
Status of Charity and Governing document
The Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO) (“Patients Council”) is an incorporated membership organisation governed by its Constitution (Scottish Charity No. SC053875) which operated previously as an unincorporated membership organisation (SC021800) until 19 December 2024 when it changed its legal form, with the approval of OSCR, to a Scottish Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).
The Patients Council is an independent collective advocacy service for patients and former patients of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and associated community mental health services. Every patient and former patient is a member of the Patients Council.
The members of the Board of Trustees are the Trustees for the purpose of charity law.
The Trustees, the majority of whom are themselves patients or former patients at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital (REH), are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity.
Recruitment and appointment of Trustees
Members interested in joining the Board of Trustees are interviewed by the Office ~~-~~ Bearers to:
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e inform them about the work of Patients Council
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e inform them about the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees
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e ensure their ability to fulfil the commitments
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e identify any specific areas of interest they may have
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e explain and sign the Patients Council activist agreement.
Prospective candidates are nominated and seconded by members of the Patients Council at the AGM. Members present at the AGM elect up to 15 Board Members.
Objectives and activities
Charitable purposes
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7 To promote the rights of patients and former patients
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7 To address concerns raised by patients and former patients about services
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7 To resolve these concerns by working jointly to encourage changes and developments in se services with hospital staff and management
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7 To facilitate the representation of patients’ and former patients’ views and opinions to the hospital, to health service management and to statutory organisations, as appropriate
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. To act as a link with other patient groups and networks locally and nationally
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7 To raise awareness of the views of patients and former patients and collective advocacy issues at training events, conferences and other forums.
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Trustees’ Annual Report (continued)
Summary of main activities in relation to the objects
Patient issues are brought to the attention of the Patients Council in different ways. These include:
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e Open Patients Council Meetings which are held every two months at the REH e regular collective advocacy meetings held with patients on individual wards e by letter, telephone, email or by calling into the office
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e from individual advocacy staff e distribution and collection of questionnaires e direct personal experience of members
These issues are addressed and patient opinion expressed through:
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e attending a wide variety of NHS review and development meetings in the REH
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e attending consultation and networking events outwith the REH e writing letters
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e producing reports e working directly with a range of staff
Memorandum of Agreement
Via a Memorandum of Agreement with AdvoCard, Scottish Charity No. SC023181, Patients Council is part of the Edinburgh Advocacy contract from City of Edinburgh Council which is held by AdvoCard. The Memorandum of Agreement addresses arrangements relating to staffing, liabilities and partnership working.
Achievements and Performance
Chair’s Report
The discussions that began in 2022, around changing how the Patients Council was constituted, were finally wrapped up this year. For the last several years we have been progressing towards becoming a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) & this was a really important goal for us to achieve. It was necessary after we parted ways with AdvoCard and became a fully independent charity. Importantly, it means our Board of Trustees are indemnified from the possibility of legal action being brought against them, as individuals, for any potential mistakes made by them in the course of their work for the organisation. Another important part of becoming a SCIO is that we now have a two ~~-t~~ ier membership. As ever, all patients and former patients are members by default but now if a member wants to vote at an AGM or an EGM they have to register with us as voting members. At the end of 2024, OSCR (The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) approved our application to become a SCIO, and this was ratified at our AGM, in February 2025. In the process we adopted a new name ~~—~~ The Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO).
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Trustees’ Annual Report (continued)
Due to ill health, I stepped down from my role as Chair, in September of 2024. I would like to thank Alison Rankin for taking the role on and, as ever, doing a great job. We would also like to thank Alison, Simon & Carolyn for the extensive hours they spent on our constitution, along with myself ~~—~~ it was a lot of work. Some of these changes were necessary as part of our transition to a SCIO, and some have helped to make the Patients Council a more positive force for good in the world. As well as patients with mental health issues, we are now constituted to work with people from marginalised and otherwise vulnerable groups, whether in hospital or the community. And we now have a broader remit than before: our purposes now include advancing citizenship, community inclusion and non ~~-~~ discrimination. As well as the promotion of dignity, autonomy, equality, inclusion and compassion.
Thanks to Maggie, Cathy and Larry who sit on our Board of Trustees, and to those who fund us at the Edinburgh Health and Social Care partnership. Thanks also to our members, volunteers, staff and all those who work in the hospital; their co ~~-~~ operation has enabled us to run our groups and to continue to advance the rights of the patients.
Stephen Muirhead ~~—~~ Chair, REH PATIENTS COUNCIL (SCIO)
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Trustees’ Annual Report (continued)
Project Co ~~-o~~ rdinator’s Report
We began the new year by welcoming Larry Osborne to the REH Patients Council management committee, joining Alison Rankin, Stephen Muirhead, Cathy Robertson and Maggie Mclvor on the body responsible for governing our organisation, setting our strategic direction and securing our financial future. Their first task was to set the priorities for the year, which they decided would be: (1) to maintain and continue to improve our working relationships, both within the organisation and with external partners; (2) to set up a new Staff/Patient Action Group to focus on r ~~e-~~ opening the Verandah/ Broch space as a café space for patients, staff and visitors and (3) to explore securing new and additional sources of funding.
The last couple of years have seen the ongoing financial pressures and cost of living crises continue to rise and exert their unwelcome influence on the REH Patients Council. We often say that collective advocacy is usually about money and power and lately we seem to be forced to focus on the financial side of things more than ever before. Like it or not, all charities need money to survive, and the current climate of seemingly never ~~-~~ ending cuts, deficits, funding crises and savings plans has hit us particularly hard this year and has proved to be very challenging and worrying for us all. On the more positive side, during this report’s periodin December 2024 the management committee took the final steps for the REH Patients Council to finally transition from its old, unincorporated charity status towards becoming a new, fully incorporated charitable organisation ~~-~~ a SCIO ~~-~~ which is the right vehicle for an organisation of our size and purpose and which offers our new Board of Trustees all the powers and protections they need to run us effectively and for the good of patients. The secret of the REH Patients Council success has always been its volunteers, whether they be on the Board, or helping us to deliver our independent collective advocacy on the wards and the last year has seen seasoned collective advocacy volunteers like Alison, Stephen, Larry, Johnathan, Edward and Gillian be joined by new recruits like Steven Gillett, as well as some potential volunteers of the future like Elaine and John and as usual we have to thank them all for their excellent service. We also need to thank our amazing staff, whether they work in the core contract part of the organisation (Carolyn our excellent organizer and Kasiaour fab finance, admin and business officer), or on our human rights education programme as part of the MORE ~~-~~ P project (Neha, Martin and Greig). You couldn’t ask for a more committed or skilled bunch of people and we’re lucky to have them. The development worker role is to help us try to secure additional ongoing funding for our human rights work and Greig has ended up taking on this crucial role and we hope to have some good news in this department to pass on soon to our members. We were sorry to say goodbye to our MORE ~~-P~~ colleagues KatMacGregor and Ruth Rooney who both left usfor new pastures to take on new challenges, and we thank them for their time with us and wish them well in their future endeavours. As the financial year came to an end in 2025, we were yet again faced with a funding crisis and the threat of even more cuts to our services. It is hard for us to find the energy to continue to fight hard for patients and to fight for our own survival but that is what all us small charities need to do in the current climate and with your help we will still be here in the years to come to make sure the patient voice is being heard and acted upon. Simon Porter
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council (SCIO)
Year ended 31 March 2025
Trustees’ Annual Report (continued)
Financial Review
Results for the year
Per the Statement of Receipts and Payments, the charity reported a Surplus for the year of £84,341 (2024 ~~—~~ Surplus £23,396) comprising a £6,661 Surplus in Unrestricted Funds and a £77,680 Surplus in Restricted Funds.
Reserves Policy
The charity’s policy is to hold sufficient funds in reserve to ensure the charity’s ability to fulfil its charitable objectives for at least three months. Per the Statement of Balances, the charity’s Unrestricted Funds amounted to £24,792 (2024 ~~-~~ £18,131) which, although above the required level, was acceptable to the Trustees.
Donated facilities and services
Accommodation and computer facilities are provided free of charge by NHS Lothian.
Independent Examiner
The Trustees recommend that David Jeffcoat, FCCA, a Partner with TC Group, Business Advisors and Accountants, remains in office as Independent Examiner until further notice.
This Report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Stephen Muirhead Trustee
Date: 23 February 2026
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5/3/2026
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council SCIO
Statement of Balances As at 31 March 2025
| Bank and Cash in Hand Opening balances Net Surplus/(Deficit) for the year |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds 2025 £ £ £ 18,131 60,383 78,514 6,661 77,680 84,341 |
Total 2024 £ 55,118 23,396 |
|---|---|---|
| Closing balances | 24,792 138,063 162,855 |
78,514 |
| Assets (Debtors) Due from AdvoCard Paye |
- - - - - - |
- 4,877 |
| Liabilities Payroll fees (SCVO) Paye Independent Examination: Year ended 31 March 2024 Year ended 31 March 2025 |
TT 196 ~~-~~ 196 196 2,715 ~~-~~ 2,715 ~~-~~ - - - 2,124 2,275 ~~-~~ 2,275 ~~-~~ |
|
| 5,186 ~~-~~ 5,186 |
2,320 |
Approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees on 23 February 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Stephen Muirhead Trustee
The Notes form an integral part of these Accounts
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council SCIO
Notes to the Accounts Year ended 31 March 2025
-
Basis of Accounting
-
The Accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
The charity is not registered for VAT and, accordingly, expenditure includes VAT where appropriate.
- Funds Unrestricted Funds (i.e. the General Fund) encompass all income and expenditure relating to the charity's primary focus other than those for which funding is restricted.
Restricted Funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. Further information about Restricted Funds is provided in Note 6.
3. Income from Charitable Activities
| AdvoCard NHS Lothian Donations Legacies |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ 79,087 ~~-~~ 79,087 61,632 ~~-~~ 117,500 117,500 70,000 ~~-~~ 250 250 400 - - - 500 |
|---|---|
| 79,087 117,750 196,837 132,532 |
|
| Charitable Expenditure (Payments) Salaries including Employers NI Subsistence Volunteer Expenses Printing, Stationery and Story Books Storybook prinitng Internet costs Sundry expenses Subscriptions Computer costs AGM Consultancy fees Insurance Travel Expenses Training Office expenses Website Hosting Payroll fees (SCVO) |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ 66,212 34,735 100,947 38,130 63 ~~-~~ 63 182 32 ~~-~~ 32 563 715 358 1,073 579 ~~-~~ 2,221 2,221 ~~-~~ 452 452 904 ~~-~~ 342 160 502 994 514 ~~-~~ 514 147 ~~-~~ 92 92 378 54 54 108 122 - - - 1,270 361 360 721 651 59 2 61 80 227 214 441 ~~-~~ 185 91 276 ~~-~~ 636 636 1,272 1,275 232 445 677 696 |
| 70,084 40,070 110,154 45,067 |
- Charitable Expenditure (Payments)
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Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients Council SCIO
Notes to the Accounts (Continued) Year ended 31 March 2025
| 5. Unrestricted Funds General Fund |
At01/04/24 Receipts Payments Transfers At31/03/25 £ £ £ £ £ 18,131 79,242 (72,581) ~~-~~ 24,792 |
|---|---|
| 18,131 79,242 (72,581) ~~-~~ 24,792 |
|
| 6. Restricted Funds MORE~~-P~~ STORIES 4 |
At01/04/24 Receipts Payments Transfers At31/03/25 £ £ £ £ £ 45,388 117,750 (30,117) ~~-~~ 133,021 14,995 ~~-~~ (9,953) ~~-~~ 5,042 |
| 60,383 117,750 (40,070) ~~-~~ 138,063 |
Purpose of Restricted Funds MOREP ~~-~~ Represents Year 3 funding from Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership enabling the charity to employ 4 part time Human Rights Educators and one part time Human Rights Organiser as part of the Mind Our Rights Education Programme (MORE- ~~P~~ ).
STORIES4 ~~-~~ Represents funding from Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership enabling the charity to produce the stories for the book "Changing Lives" Volume 3.5 Edition May 2023.
- Trustees' Remuneration and Reimbursed Expenses During the year, no Trustees nor any persons connected with them received remuneration or reimbursed expenses (2024: £Nil).
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