Can you help us hit target? (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Can you help us hit target?

8:34am Thursday 21st February 2013 in News By Cadisha Brown

THE Shuttle is calling on readers to help raise funds for vital software that will benefit thousands of patients at Kidderminster Hospital.

The hospital is upgrading its CT (computed tomography) scanner to a modern model and the computer software will help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis from the images.

Kidderminster Hospital needs £65,000 for the multiplaner reconstruction software and £60,000 to cover the cost of building work to replace the current scanner.

The £125,000 appeal is being run by the Kidderminster Hospitals League of Friends and The Shuttle to enable the hospital to get the best use out of its new equipment.

David Wase, chairman of the League of Friends, which also ran an appeal for a CT scanner at the hospital about 16 years ago, said: “When we heard the CT scanner needed replacing, we wanted to be involved in that. The software and the installation of the scanner is the area we can do most good.”

The League of Friends has already donated £50,000 towards a mobile scanner, which will be used at the hospital until the new scanner is installed in about seven weeks time.

Work to remove the current scanner is set to start today.

Dr Umesh Udeshi, consultant radiologist at the hospital, said: “It’s now time to replace and upgrade the scanner and we’re very pleased the League of Friends is helping us with that.

“Normally CT is just shown in one plane but the software enables us to look at the same information in other planes, which helps us make a more accurate diagnosis.

“It’s absolutely vital to be able to make an accurate diagnosis promptly so that the patient can have the right treatment. It also helps the surgeons to understand what the scan is showing them.

“It’s vital in my opinion to have this equipment.”

He added the new scanner, used for the whole body, would be faster and produce much better images, adding it would be “very good” at looking at lung diseases, bowels and kidneys.

“The current scanner was installed in 2003 and since then we’ve scanned more than 40,000 patients and done 66,000 examinations.,” Dr Udeshi said.

“In the first year we performed 330 examinations but last year we did 8,500 so it shows how much the need for a scanner has increased.”

Penny Venables, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We’d like to thank the Kidderminster League of Friends for their hard work helping us provide the latest technology for our patients.

“The new CT scanner will benefit thousands of Kidderminster patients, as our team performs around 9,000 examinations per year. We’re very grateful for the support of David Wase and all the volunteers.”

People can make a donation to the appeal by contacting the League of Friends on 01562 67653.

Alternatively cheques, made payable to Kidderminster Hospitals League of Friends, can be sent to Cadisha Brown, The Shuttle, 6 Towers Buildings, Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, DY10 2DY.

If you are organising a fundraising event, contact Cadisha Brown at cadisha.brown@ kidderminstershuttle.co.uk or call on 01562 633341.