Swindon hospital introduces text to donate service

Swindon's Great Western Hospital (GWH) is one of the first in the country to use a texting service to raise funds.

The hospital's NHS Foundation Trust has introduced the service which uses personalised text codes to enable people to make donations.

The service has no set-up costs for charities, no network charges for people making donations, and every penny donated goes to charity.

GWH deputy governor Harry Dale said it was a "wonderful" way to raise money.

"It's speedy, simple and spontaneous," he added.

"Every donation to our charitable fund, large or small, makes a huge difference for our patients and staff, providing the hospital with clinical research, and items of medical equipment and facilities which are outside NHS resources."