The King's Fund is an independent
think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
, which is involved with work relating to the health system in England. It organises conferences and other events.
Since 1997, they have jointly funded a yearly award system with
GlaxoSmithKline
GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...
. They reward small to medium-sized health charities who are improving people's health.
The Chief Executive is currently Sarah Woolnough, who was previously the Chief Executive of
Asthma + Lung UK. She took up the position in December 2023.
Before 1948 the body contributed significantly to London's
voluntary hospitals.
History
Founded as the Prince of Wales's Hospital Fund for London in 1897, the fund changed its name in 1902 to King Edward's Hospital Fund after the accession to the
throne
A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign (or viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory ...
of King
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910.
The second child ...
.
In 1907,
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
incorporated the fund as the King's Fund.
George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen worked closely with the future
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
in building the charity's
endowment fund
A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are ...
. Lord Mount Stephen was the charity's most important benefactor, having made gifts to the amount of £1,315,000.
The fund was originally set up to contribute to London's
voluntary hospitals and did so, which it later started to inspect and expand. After the
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
was created in 1948, the fund became a think tank.
In 1992 the influential King's Fund's Commission on London's Health Care identified high costs and lower throughput of central London hospitals and recommended reduction in acute services and parallel improvements in primary care.
See also
*
List of UK think tanks
*
Nuffield Trust
The Nuffield Trust, formerly the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust, is a charitable trust with the mission of improving health care in the UK through evidence and analysis.
The Nuffield Trust is registered with the Charity Commission as ch ...
*
Health Foundation
*
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 1897
Health charities in the United Kingdom
Public policy think tanks based in the United Kingdom
1897 establishments in England