Protecting the health of all: Fondazione CDP supports Welcomed with the “Suspended Appointment” project

Protecting the health of all: Fondazione CDP supports Welcomed with the “Suspended Appointment” project

Ensuring access to quality and timely specialist medical care for vulnerable children and families residing in Milan is the main goal of the Suspended Appointment project, which applies the charitable tradition of paying for someone’s coffee in advance (a “suspended coffee”) to healthcare. Supported by Fondazione CDP together with the Welcomed social enterprise, it was set up to guarantee free healthcare to economically and socially disadvantaged families who live in the city with a view to subsidiarity in relation to the National Health Service (SSN).

Funding from Fondazione CDP will grant access to timely and quality medical care for around 8,000 minors and their parents, providing approximately 10,000 specialist services, including psychological and rehabilitation courses, over a period of 12 months.

By joining the Suspended Appointment project, Fondazione CDP is strengthening its commitment in the strategic sector of welfare and scientific research by expanding its range of activities in healthcare provision, a key field for improving the quality of life for citizens and communities and ensuring equal access to the right to health.

"Health is a fundamental right that Fondazione CDP is committed to protecting alongside the National Health Service," said Director General Francesca Sofia. "It is our firm belief that all citizens, regardless of income or social background, must have access to quality medical care in their neighbourhood."

 

Social enterprise Welcomed was founded in 2013 in Milan as a multidisciplinary health centre dedicated to children, adolescents and their families. With over 100 specialists and 30 specialties, the centre collaborates with more than 60 schools and has recently opened its third location in Lombardy’s largest city. Welcomed reinvests the proceeds of profitable healthcare services into the Suspended Appointment project. This means that every appointment in its centres helps give families in need the opportunity to access tests, medical and psychological treatment and support for schooling free of charge. Since 2016, it has provided around 36,000 free appointments, 70% of which were to patients under 14.