Last updated at 15:13, Monday, 16 November 2009

PATIENTS having bowel surgery at Furness General Hospital are to benefit from £100,000 of new equipment.

ALL SMILES: Members of the Hospital Equipment Fund for Furness are delighted after money from their funds along with a £100,000 legacy donation has enabled them to purchase equipment to aid a new surgical technique known as Laparoscopic Bowel Resection. Pictured describing the equipment to HEFF members are hospital speciality manager Cath Williams (right) with laparoscopic colo-rectal surgeon Pana PatelJON GRANGER REF 0510898

Funding from Barrow-based charity Hospital Equipment Fund for Furness Group (HEFF) has bought a laparoscope and camera which allows surgeons to carry out minimally invasive surgery on the bowel.

The ‘keyhole’ surgical procedure involves entering the abdomen using the laparoscope and camera and performing the surgery without the need to ‘open up’ patients. Hospital bosses say the equipment will help patients recover faster from surgery, stay in hospital for less time, experience less pain and return to normal quicker.

Pana Patel, consultant colorectal surgeon for the 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 put further money to 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 of the Intensive Care Unit at 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 of 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 they show will ensure our patients continue to benefit from world class healthcare.”

First published at 13:11, Monday, 16 November 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk