Photo by James Maloney
ONE of Liverpool’s oldest healthcare organisations celebrates a remarkable milestone today.
Medicash, known to many as the old ‘Penny in the Pound Fund’, clocks up 150 years of helping people through its health cash plans.
Chief executive Sue Weir, said: “Medicash has been committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals since its foundation in 1871. We are proud to work with organisations from across the UK to support and improve the health of their employees and look forward to doing so for many decades and even centuries to come.
“Marking 150 years in business is no mean feat and I would like to acknowledge the hard work of all the team, both current and past, who have made this possible.
“Our anniversary year will provide a great opportunity for us to reflect and celebrate our past, at the same time as looking forward to driving the next innovations on our journey. Over the course of the year, we will be marking our anniversary with a series of events and initiatives which we look forward to sharing.”
In 2018 Medicash was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool for its longstanding commitment to healthcare and charitable giving.
Last year, over £500,000 was donated to support charities struggling with the impact of Covid-19. In addition to this, Medicash provided £110,000 of vital PPE to the NHS, North West Ambulance Service and local care homes.
The company is now looking to build on its significant charitable giving.
Flashback . . . patients waiting to be treated, and the first of three ambulances purchased by the Fund in 1929
It was on Sunday 8 January 1871 that the first ‘Hospital Sunday’ collection was held in Liverpool, raising £4,685 to support the local voluntary hospitals which were in desperate need of support and funding.
In 1929 the Fund purchased three ambulances to help convey patients to the voluntary hospitals. Over the next 23 years this fleet would grow to 16 and transport over 365,000 patients to and from the hospitals before being gifted to the NHS, which was formed in 1948.
As part of its anniversary celebrations Medicash has refreshed its brand image to reflect the wider health and wellbeing remit of its services as it continues to invest in the technology-based features of its products.- The company has been known by many names over its 150-year history including The Penny in the Pound Fund and Merseyside Health Benefits Council, before changing its name to Medicash as it expanded its regional focus to a national one. It now provides health cover to more than 300,000 policyholders across the UK.
- The company was the first to introduce a full-service claims app, as well as being the first UK-based health insurer to introduce a skin cancer screening app.
TOP HONOUR … Medicash chief executive Sue Weir receiving the Freedom of the City award from Liverpool Lord Mayor Cllr Christine Banks with Frank Field MP, right, Cllr Lynnie Hinnigan, left, and Ron Odunaiya, director of Community Services, Liverpool City Council
