The Friends of St Mary’s Hospital have dug deep into their funds to purchase equipment that manages patients’ chronic pain, so massively improving their quality of life.
Costing £16,950, the equipment, based in the Day Surgical Unit, provides a radio frequency pulse that works in conjunction with injections.
If not treated, chronic pain can have a negative impact on patients’ personal relationships, work productivity and daily routine. The equipment also reduces the number of hospital appointments.
Theatre practitioner Paul Newnham (pictured right) said:
“We are very grateful to the Friends, and clearly the patients are too.
“Around six or seven patients a week make use of the equipment, generally coming in for the day. It is certainly a lot better than the equipment we had been using for the past 12 years.”
Fellow theatre practitioner, Nick Scott-Denness, said:
“Long term pain relief can make so much difference to people’s lives.”
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The Friends are a registered charity which runs the café and shop in the hospital’s foyer – with the help of many volunteers. It also is takes newspapers, magazines and confectionery to the wards. Profits, together with donations and legacies, are used to purchase extra equipment and facilities for the NHS on the Island, which last year meant an outlay of nearly £135,000.
