- Hospital said it would hand back cash after groping at dinner was exposed
- But it emerged today that hospital bosses are now considering keeping it
- Children’s hospital has been criticised by former patients over the issue
Great Ormond Street children’s hospital may keep a £530,000 donation from the controversial ‘Presidents Club’ whose gala saw hostesses groped and propositioned by male businessmen.
The six-figure sum was raised by the controversial club – made up of high-flyers from the property industry and top City figures – between 2009 and 2016 before it disbanded in response to outrage at this year’s event.
In the wake of the scandal, Great Ormond Street announced that it would return the donations, with a spokesman saying hospital bosses were ‘shocked to hear of the behaviour’ and the ‘wholly unacceptable nature of the event’.
But it emerged today that the children’s hospital is debating whether the money should be kept and put towards treating ill children.
Hostesses and a businessman outside the controversial Presidents Club dinner, where waitresses were allegedly groped and propositioned by the all-male guests
Other donors to the hospital have expressed anger over the decision and threatened to withhold their own funds unless the decision is reversed, Sky News reported today.
The broadcaster reported that the decision to return the money will now be discussed at a meeting later this week before a final call is made next month.
Parents of patients at the hospital had criticised the decision after it was announced by the hospital.
Angela Formosa, whose five-year-old twins Ruby and Rosie were born conjoined before being separated in an operation at Great Ormond Street in London, said: ‘The hospital does rely so heavily on charitable donations and this is a lot of money which could pay for a lot of things and save lives.’
The world-famous hospital has come under fire for its decision to return the money
Carly Hicks’ baby Lily almost died of meningitis at the age of six months after doctors misdiagnosed her symptoms as chickenpox. She spent five days in intensive care at the hospital.
She said: ‘Everything costs so much money, all their equipment, the amount of staff that are there and their teaching programmes.
‘They don’t want to be seen to have anything to do with that charity. But I do not like the thought of them giving that money back, if I am honest.
It was previously reportedly that the money could pay for 15 ventilators to help young patients unable to breathe on their own, or fund a month’s accommodation for 13 families to stay with their children.