Medical supplies for the Ukraine Crisis

When the war in Ukraine escalated in February 2022 Circle Health Group, the UK’s largest independent provider of hospital services, felt compelled to act. In a matter of weeks, the organisation began an operation to delivery medical supplies to six community teaching hospitals in Ukraine. The campaign hinged on two key elements. The first, using Circle’s extensive network of over 6,000 specialist consultants, to make connections with doctors working to protect and save lives in their communities. Each hospital in Ukraine that received aid from Circle had a Ukrainian medical contact working in the UK. This allowed the needs of each hospital to be met directly and thus, provide the doctors on the ground with the supplies and equipment they needed specifically for their patients. This provided adaptability, giving Circle’s procurement the flexibility to send specific items to the hospitals that needed them the most. The second element was Circle’s people and partners. The campaign was underpinned by consistent donations and fundraising activities at each of Circle’s 53 hospitals. This fostered a sense of pride in the individual contribution's hospitals made but enabled the campaign to increase and sustain interest in the plight of healthcare workers in Ukraine for 12 months. In 16 deliveries, 365 tonnes of medical aid were supplied with the total impact of the campaign delivering an incredible £3 million worth of support. Circle’s campaign represented the largest single contribution made by a UK business to the crisis in Ukraine.