Friends' £15,500 donation helps hospital bosses buy vital scanners

The League of Friends at South Tyneside District Hospital has handed over the money to buy two bladder scanners.

The donation brings the total the group has provided for important diagnostic equipment in the last three years to £55,500.

A year ago, it gave a £33,000 donation - enough to buy five of the sophisticated machines.

They have a printer function for prompt diagnosis, and are easily portable, meaning they can be used throughout the hospital.

Bladder scans play a vital part in informing decisions about treatment options for inpatients and outpatients.

But due to the hospital’s ageing stock, staff were increasingly having to borrow them from other wards and departments, or even move patients or ask them to return for another appointment.

Continence/urogynaecology nurse specialist Bev Bell said: “Bladder scanning is a non-invasive way of detecting if a patient is emptying their bladder.

“Thanks to the kindness of the League of Friends, the scanners are now much more widely available in our wards and departments.”

Clare Williams, South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust’s medical devices co-ordinator, added: “The new scanners incorporate the very latest technology and offer improved accuracy and they will help to further reduce delays in treatment.”

South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust Chairman Neil Mundy thanked the Friends for their support.

“On behalf of the Trust, I would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to the League of Friends for its continued generosity and support, which help us to make a real difference in improving care for patients.”

The League of Friends was founded in 1948, and is this year celebrating its 70th birthday along with the NHS.

In the past seven decades, its volunteers have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to provide patients and staff with extra comforts and equipment.

Most of the money donated comes from its shop in the main entrance of South Tyneside District Hospital’s Ingham Wing.