Shrewsbury Hospital to benefit from new life-saving equipment thanks to £150,000 donation

The League of Friends of the RSH has given the funding for the ultrasound machines for operating theatres and the intensive care unit.

Dr Ashley Miller, consultant in intensive care and anaesthesia at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs RSH, said: “The anaesthetic and intensive care teams are delighted and extremely grateful to have received funding for new ultrasound machines for the operating theatres and the intensive care unit (ICU) from the League of Friends. Ultrasound is like having a window into the body so we can directly visualise blood vessels, nerves, the heart, lungs and abdominal organs.

“In theatre this allows us to place lines into blood vessels and to guide placement of local anaesthetic around nerves under direct vision. In ICU ultrasound is incredibly useful for many applications. It allows us to see exactly how the heart is working and how treatment strategies affect this.”

“We can see lung disease with much greater accuracy than with a chest X-ray.

“We can assess all the abdominal organs to look for various diseases.

“All this can be done rapidly at the patient’s bedside by the clinician looking after the patient and guide management minute to minute.

Dr Miller added: “It is radiation free, avoids the need to transfer critically ill patients and is available 24/7. These machines will save lives.”

Chairman of the League of Friends Richard Lawn said: “The people responsible for raising money for the League – our shop volunteers and staff, our fundraising team, and most important those members of the public so generous with their donations and legacies – are always delighted when they can see the money raised put to immediate and life-saving use.

“This is definitely the case with this vital new equipment for the ICU.”