Stalemate could kill off Sick Kids fundraiser campaign

THE failed fundraising appeal to raise millions for Edinburgh's new Sick Kids hospital may never be relaunched, it has emerged.

Confusion surrounds whether it will even be possible to create a fresh version of the New Pyjamas campaign which collapsed in disarray with losses of 1 million and the axing of ten staff.

It has emerged that NHS Lothian and the Sick Kids Friends Foundation have not met or exchanged correspondence since last summer, despite the hospital at Little France being due to open in less than four years.

The problem seems to have been caused by the continuing uncertainty of how the entire hospital is to be funded.

NHS lawyers are looking at how the Scottish Futures Trust model - which critics describe as a new form of the unpopular private finance initiative - will affect a fundraising appeal.

They are concerned it may not be legal for such an appeal to be set up for what is now a private project, rather than the publicly-funded one it was originally supposed to be.

Now the SKFF is waiting for guidance from NHS Lothian on what to do next, but it is likely the charity will just continue its day-to-day work and help pay for smaller projects.

Jackie Sansbury, chief operating officer for acute services for NHS Lothian, said: "Following the change to funding for our new hospital for children and young people, we are still in the process of establishing the role of charitable contributions.

"A number of charities have pledged their support to this important project and we will be discussing this with them over the coming months."

The New Pyjamas campaign had pledged to raise 15m to pay for extras which would make the hospital a "truly world-class" facility.

While the previous appeal would have provided facilities like a family hotel, classrooms and a drop-in centre, some of these may be able to be delivered through the Futures Trust money.

However, city MSP Malcolm Chisholm said: "There are a whole range of reasons why this funding model is not desirable. This is a regrettable development and it would be difficult to see how the 15m could be raised in other ways."

An employment tribunal involving the former New Pyjamas director, Elaine McGonigle, had been delayed again as the police investigate claims of fraud. Lothian and Borders Police are still probing her role in the collapse of the campaign, which cost 1m and raised 100,000.