Torbay Hospital League of Friends has continued its fundraising efforts in spite of the challenges posed during the ongoing pandemic. Most recently, the League has approved expenditure totalling £69,823 to provide two bariatric stairclimbers, iPads for theatres, four trollies for the Catheter Lab and two additional children’s ventilators.
Two very generous legacies of £10,000 from the respective estates of the late Mr and Mrs Richards will benefit the Ophthalmology and Cardiology Departments.
The Ophthalmology team has been able to purchase special chairs for ophthalmic imaging equipment. The chairs are specifically designed with brakes on the back and high handles and electronic controls to raise and lower the patient to position. They significantly reduce the risk of patient falls and back-related health problems for staff. They are extremely manoeuvrable and have been well received by staff and patients alike.
The Cardiology Department will benefit from two echocardiography clinic room couches, a handheld echocardiography device, two pacemaker trollies for the Cardiac Catheter Lab and a Genlab Classic Incubator for the Cardiac Catheter Lab.
A handheld echocardiography device is a clinical useful tool to allow rapid assessment of appropriate patients which will allow the doctor to perform an echocardiogram on the patient whilst undertaking a procedure within the Cardiac Catheter Lab. The two pacemaker trollies will allow for better storage of cardiac devices and components within the lab.
Additionally, the League is continuing to fund the provision of Cook and Eat Sessions for the Children and Young Person Diabetes Service, as well as committing £6,000 to Education Simulation. This helps provide teams who deal with patients in their own homes with a safe space to learn valuable skills in environments that are as realistic as possible.
Patricia Roberts, President of the League of Friends, said “Even though we have not been able to ‘get out and about’ over the last 12 months, we have not been sitting idle, and have been able to continue to provide substantial sums of money for all kinds of equipment requested of us by the Hospital.
“We were particularly grateful to the late Mr and Mrs Richards for their incredibly generous donations which I am delighted to say have been put to so much good in the respective departments they nominated. We are so grateful for people’s generous donations which enable us to direct support where it is most needed in our much-valued hospital.”
Liz Davenport, Chief Executive of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said “We are so fortunate to have such an active and generous League of Friends at Torbay Hospital, as well as in all our community hospitals. Thanks to their fundraising efforts, we are able to benefit from extra equipment and updated facilities. It makes such a difference for our staff teams and for all the local people they support.
“I would also like to thank the members of the public who donate to the League and contribute to fundraising events as their generosity makes these donations possible.”
