THE ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA – MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a fitting home and community for ageing or infirm veteran soldiers
to whom the nation owes a debt of gratitude.
THE ROYAL HOSPITAL IN 2025 – A VISION STATEMENT
The Royal Hospital in 2025 will have cemented still further its reputation as a unique, respected and much loved national institution. It will be continuing to provide a fitting home, in modernised accommodation, for some 300 elderly or infirm Chelsea Pensioners, all of whom will have served as soldiers in the British Army. It will be a dynamic community, the residents of which will be enabled by a committed staff to live lives that are as active, independent, stress free and fulfilled as possible given their age and condition, within a military- based culture which puts a premium on comradeship.
The Royal Hospital will be recognised and valued by the Nation, the Government and the Army for the quality of care it provides and for what it represents: a visible symbol of the covenant that must exist between the Nation and those prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in its service. It will also be valued as a significant and integrated part of the social and cultural fabric of London and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, contributing to both and playing a role, in conjunction with the National Army Museum, in educating the public about the contribution the Army has made to British history. Its historic buildings and grounds will be well preserved and open to the public to the maximum extent possible commensurate with maintaining an appropriate level of privacy.
The Royal Hospital will continue to receive a Grant-in-Aid from the Government to cover running costs, and will have introduced a charging regime in place of the requirement for pension surrender. It will generate additional income to fund a continuing development programme, and will have made considerable progress towards the establishment of an endowment sufficient to protect itself against any future shortfall in funding, thereby enabling its long-term survival on its historic site.
The Royal Hospital will be recognised within the care sector and beyond as a centre of excellence, providing the highest possible standard of accommodation and care home facilities. It will be open to all ageing veterans, male and female, who have served as soldiers in the British Army. In addition it will support the wider ex-service community by providing respite care facilities for those in need, regardless of service or rank, and will have reinforced its links and relevance to the modern Army by providing support to military units in London District.
The management of the Royal Hospital will be taut, professional, alert to change and outward looking. It will employ up-to-date working practices to deliver a service that is recognised as providing value for money. It will be commercially astute, making the most of the opportunities for income generation but doing so in a way that does not intrude in an unwelcome manner on the life of the In-Pensioners. Key staff will live on site to be available for duties and to contribute to the wider life of the community.