PATIENTS TO BENEFIT FROM GENEROUS LEGACY
Patients undergoing bowel surgery at Furness General Hospital (FGH) are to benefit from a legacy of £100,000 left to Hospital Equipment Fund for Furness Group (HEFF).
HEFF, a trust which Barrow people raise money for to buy new equipment for FGH, has used the legacy to buy valuable equipment that allows the hospital’s Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, to perform a new form of keyhole surgery. The procedure involves entering the abdomen using a laparoscope and camera and performing the surgery without the need to ‘open up’ the patient.
With laparoscopic surgery, patients recover faster from surgery, stay in hospital for less time, experience less pain and return to normal quicker.
Miss Pana Patel, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT), said: “These instruments allow us to perform major bowel resections safely and simply.
“The usage of Ligasure diathermy does not create smoke like ordinary diathermy and the image quality from the high definition camera system means an excellent view for the surgeon and the team.”
HEFF also agreed to further fund six new beside monitors with Co2 monitoring. These enable staff to monitor patients in critical care more closely and include the patient’s critical information including blood pressure, temperature and heart rate all on the same screen. This allows clinicians to plan and review treatment more efficiently therefore improving patient safety.
Sue Swarbrick, Ward Manager, Intensive Care Unit, FGH, said: “The new equipment provided by HEFF has greatly improved the service we deliver and ensured continued safe, efficient and effective monitoring of critically ill patients.”
Tony Halsall, Chief Executive, UHMBT, said “We are extremely grateful for this wonderful donation. It is always humbling when people choose to leave their legacies for the benefit of patients in Morecambe Bay. The kindness that they show will ensure that our patients continue to benefit from world class healthcare.”
